Pagbutlak

Hannah Jay “Ka Maya” Cesista, a University of San Carlos graduate and a Bar passer in 2023, and four other members of the revolutionary group New People’s Army named Domingo “Ka Silong” Compoc, Perlito “Ka Aldrin” Historia, Marlon “Ka Darwin” Omosura, and Alberto “Ka Juaning” Sancho, collectively known as Bilar 5, were brutally tortured before being gunned to death by the Bohol Police Provincial Office and 47th Infantry Battalion last Feb. 3 at Sitio Matin-ao 2, Barangay Campagao, Bilar, Bohol.

This is based on an independent fact-finding mission conducted by Karapatan Central Visayas, an alliance of organizations, groups and individuals working for the promotion and defense of human rights and people’s rights in the Philippines and at the global level.

Contrary to the AFP and PNP’s claim that the operation that led to the death of Cesista and four others is a legitimate operation covered by PNP’s scene of the crime report, a human rights group refuted with a photograph showing one of the purported casualties, identified as Compoc, was captured alive. This revelation corroborates with the residents’ claim that the individuals were not killed during the encounter but were instead captured, tortured, and summarily executed.

Locals also refuted “encounter” claims, saying that the AFP-PNP ordered surrender and humiliation of victims, not an exchange of fire. Residents in the area said that the police and military troops forced victims out of their lodging then ordered them to single out towards the rice field and roll in mud before being gunned. Photos circulating online also reveal Cesista’s one eye to be severely injured while her other comrades suffer lacerations caused by stabbing, which suggests that the five were heavily tortured. 

In a statement, Kabataang Makabayan (KM)–Negros confirmed that Cesista is indeed a member of the NPA, saying that Cesista’s pursuit of championing human rights led her to pursue the highest form of resistance through armed struggle. The underground revolutionary youth group added that Cesista offered her expertise and intellect to strengthen the revolutionary ranks of the NPA in Bohol.

Hannah Cesista’s legacy

Cesista was an alumna of the University of the Philippines-Cebu where she got her Political Science degree. She then pursued a Juris Doctor degree at the University of San Carlos (USC). She passed the Bar in 2022 but didn’t take her oath to become a full-fledged lawyer. 

During her undergraduate years in UP Cebu, she immersed herself in various organizations, including Youth For Christ–UP Cebu Chapter, Cebu Students for Justice and Peace, and Kabataan Partylist–UP Cebu. While studying law at USC, she volunteered as a paralegal for human rights lawyers. In her spare time, she conducted human rights and paralegal discussions in communities. Later, she became a founding member of the National Union of People’s Lawyers Students–Cebu Chapter and served as Secretary-General, assisting fellow aspiring lawyers in their advocacy efforts.

Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON)–Cebu attested to Cesista’s dedication and commitment to serving the jeepney drivers and operators in Cebu, stating that despite Cesista’s quiet and equable demeanor, she never remained silent in voicing out her opinions on important issues.

The group added that even when she was still a student at UP Cebu, Cesista united and stood with them in their call against jeepney phaseout and the increasing price of oil by joining mobilizations, discussions, and forums. Cesista even provided them with legal information regarding the PUV Modernization Program that led to the group’s understanding of the proposed program, PISTON-Cebu said.

Call for Immediate Investigation

Cesista and the rest of Bilar 5’s case is yet another case of violation to the International Humanitarian Law and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) which was mutually signed by the Government Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in 1998. 

During the Karapatan Central Visayas’ presscon to present the result of a fact-finding mission, families of the victims expressed dismay and fear over state forces’ continued surveillance and harassment. A family member of Bilar 5’s Parlito Historia further revealed that they were bribed of scholarship and job opportunities by a certain police intelligence officer should the family drop their request for autopsy of the slain victim. 

Progressive groups, including National Union of People’s Lawyer (NUPL)–Cebu and Anakbayan-Cebu, condemned the brutal killings of Cesista and her comrades, saying that the killing of Hannah and her companions is a disturbing trend and adds to the list of state-sanctioned attacks on activists and dissenters, which reflects broader efforts to silence voices exposing poverty and inequality in the country.

Anakbayan-Cebu challenges the Marcos administration and the Bohol provincial government to conduct an immediate and impartial investigation of the incident. They also urged both national and local administration to sign the Comprehensive Agreement on Social Economic Reforms (CASER) that ensures distribution of land for the landless, poor farmers, and farm worker, and advance the talks “in order to end this decades long insurgency fought by the people against subsequent tyrannical governments such as those of Marcos Sr. and Estrada.”

Rey Mark Paran is a third-year statistics student at the Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics. He became a member of Pagbutlak during his first year and was subsequently appointed as its editor. Now in his third year, Rey Mark still serves as Pagbutlak’s editor-in-chief.