Case History: Antonio Ablon
On 7 October 2015, the work premises of human rights defender Mr Antonio Nercua Ablon were raided. His computer was stolen, including the data he had been using for his human rights work.
Antonio Nercua Ablon is a human rights defender and chairperson of human rights group Karapatan in Western Mindanao. Karapatan is an alliance of individuals, groups and organisations, formed in 1995 for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines. It is committed to defending people’s rights and civil liberties through education, training, advocacy, research and network building. Furthermore, Ablon advocates for environmental rights, in particular criticising regional large-scale mining projects due to environmental concerns regarding their impact.
On 7 October 2015, the work premises of human rights defender Mr Antonio Nercua Ablon were raided. His computer was stolen, including the data he had been using for his human rights work.
On 7 October 2015, the work place of the human rights defender, the parish office at the Pro-Cathedral Church in Tubod, was raided. His computer was stolen, including the data he had been using for his human rights work. Where his computer had been, the unknown perpetrators left a threatening note saying “Watch out” and “Be ready”.
The raid does not seem to be an ordinary robbery as his more valuable belongings were not stolen. Furthermore, several days before the raid, unknown men came to the parish office looking for Mr Ablon and refused to introduce themselves when asked.
This was not the first time that the human rights defender has been targeted. In July 2013, his bedroom in the Bishop’s House in the Pagadian Cathedral was also raided, but no valuables were taken. Karapatan's leaders and staff members in other Mindanao regions are constantly under surveillance from the military and the authorities, they also receive numerous threats and harassment from them. In April 2015, the Southern Mindanao office of Karapatan, was attacked by unknown men.
