t1 1qq;r

_dTt!f? - :\\
,e''
".F '
.tl'' !"t
".'',l

'i:.,
:,,r._.

Republic of the Philippines r ui {(r l/ ?0rs' l:.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATTVES
QuezonCity I ft7
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.

953

INTRODUCED BY ANAKPAWIS PARTY.LIST REPRESENTATTVE

RAFAEL V. MARIANO

RESOLUTION
DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS TO CONDUCT AN
INQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE KILLING OF THE
COUNTRY'S FOREMOST PLANT TAXONOMIST AND ETHNOBOTANIST
LEONARDO L, CO AND HrS TWO (21 COMPANTONS ALLDGEDLY By
ELEMENTS OF THE MILITARY

WHEREAS' the countr5r's foremost specialist in plant taxonomy and

ethnobotany, Leonard L. co and his two (2) companions, sofronio G. Cortez,
a forest guard of Energi Development Corporation (EDC)-Environmental
Management Division, and Julius Borromeo, a member of the Tongonan
Farmers Association (Tofa) were ki11edon November 15, 2010 in an alleged
"crossfire" during an encounter between the military and communist rebels
in a forested area in Kananga, Leyte. (17 Nouember 2010, Philippine Dailg
Inquirer);

IVHEREAS, the demise of Co is a big loss for the country since we

have only a few taxonomists in the country. Co was the president of the
Philippine Native Plants conservation society, and served as a museum
researcher at the University of the Philippines Institute of Biolory (IB). He
was the de facto curator of the Jose Vera Santos Herbarium:

WHEREAS, Co was also known in the Cordilleras for his work in

helping communities systematize the knowledge of traditional healers about
medicinal plants for their own primary health care. As a staff member of the
community Health, EducaLion, Services and Training in the cordillera
Administrative Region (Chestcore) based in Baguio City since 1981, Co had
helped list L22 medicinal plants in the region with their scientific and
common names;

WHEREAS, h 1989, Co published the book, "Common Medicinal

Plants in the Cordillera Region: A Trainor's Manual for community-Based
Health Programs,' in collaboration with community Health, Education,
Services and Training in the Cordillera Administrative Region (Chestcore).
The book was primarily designed to help communities tap their traditional
medicinal plants to treat some common diseases without relying too much
on prescription drugs, which are not readily available. He also authored "The
Forest Trees of Palanan, Philippines: A study in population Ecolory";
 IryHEREAS, according to Manuel paete, resident manager
of Energr
Development corporation (EDc), co was serving
as biodiver"ityiorrrltant of
Lopez-owned Energr Development corp. (EDCiand
*., study
on tree biodiversity il the area, gathering specimen "orri.r"ti"g-.
seedrings of endangered
trees with a five-member team of civilian"s
*rtan he was shot. Borromeo and
Balute served as his guides. (Ibid);

trrHEREAS-, according to Insp. Jedor camacho,

Kana,ga police chief,
Army soldiers belonging to the tgttr tntantry
Batlarion (IB) reported to the
police that they had encountered unidentilied
armed men in Barangay Lim_
ao in Kananga. (Ibid);

WHEREAS, it^ reported that Lt. col. Federico T\rtaan,

commanding officer of the-*.1
19th IB, in a phone interview said that the alleged
crossfire was a legitimate military op"ratiorr. (Ibid);

WHEREAS, the two (2) other companions of co, policarpio

Barute, a
member of rongonan Farmers Association (Tofa),
and Roniflo Gibe, a
contractual forester with Enerry Development corporation,s
corporate social responsibility department, survived the lnoctl
crossflre. (Ibid);

urHEREAs, Balute averred that the shooting started

in upper
Mahiao, Barangay Lim-ao, and added that he did noi-i;;;.""po"airrg
volley of gunfire from any direction that could indicate
* orgo;-g battre
between Army soldiers and New people,s Army (NpA).
(1g Nouember 2010,
Philippine D aily Inquirer);

WHEREAS, in a press conference, T\rtaan admitted

that one of tl.e
soldiers fired the first shot because they were at
a vantage point. (rZ
Nouember 2010, philippine Dailg Inquirer);

WHERD'AS,
!h" family of co expressed doubts that he had died in a
crossfire or that a clash between soldiers and rebels had
taken place. Based
on the death certificate, co d.ied from three (3) bullet wounds
at his back;

WHEREAS, reports quoting Darwin Flores, co,s brother-in-law,

states
that he was informed that there was an existing security protocol
between
EDC and the local military;

WHEREAS' according to Kalikasan-people,s Network for the

Environment, there are thirty-six (36) environmentalists killed
in the country
since 2OOI.It further stated that soldiers and militiamen
were behind most
of the killings. (Ibid);

UIHEREAS' based on ttre Rures of war and Internationar

Humanitarian Law, the Armed Forces of the philippines (AFp)
should have
first ensured the safety and protection of civilians in tne armed'conflict:
and
WHEREAS' serious doubts has been raised.over the legitimacy
of the
military operation. The circumstances of the demise
of co and his
companions is perceived as a case of mistaken identity. A
thorough inquiry
is imperative to determine whether or not there have been
violations of the
Articles of War, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and other related laws
on the part of the Armed Forces of the philippines (AFp).

Now' THEREFORE' BE IT RESOLVED As IT rs HEREBY

RESOwEDTthat the Committeeon HumanRightsconductan inquiry,in
aid of legislation, on the kifling of the country's foremost plant taxonomist
and ethnobotanist Leonardo L. co and his two {2) companions allegedly by
elements of the militarv.

Adopted,

4#R