Case:  SUMMARY EXECUTIO

Victim: RABENIO SUNGIT, 44 years old.  A resident of Ladayon, Soangan, Quezon, Palawan.  A husband of Trinidad C. Sungit with nine (9) children.   A brother of Avenio Sungit , a victim of  extra-judicial killing  in 2005. An active lay leader of Tagusao Outreach Congregation of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Ladayon Saongan, Quezon Palawan.  He was an interpreter of the Pelaw’an tribe. A leader of the indigenous group PAGSAMBATAN (Pagkakaisa ng mga Katutubo) in Palawan.  A member of the sectoral group of farmers, workers and urban poor ANAKPAWIS. 

Date of Incident:  September 5, 2011 at around 1:30pm

Place of Incident:  Public Market along Pagayona Street, Municipality of Quezon, Palawan Province

Perpetrators: Unidentified Two motorcycle-riding men wearing bonnet
Vehicle:   125 CC Red XRM Honda motorcycle
Using .45 caliber Pistol

Account of Incident:

On September 5, 2011 at around 1:30pm, Rabenio Sungit was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle riding man wearing bonnet using a .45 caliber pistol in the public market along Pagayona Street, Municipality of Quezon, Palawan Province.  Rabinio was with his wife, Trinidad and son Rocky when the incident happened. 

According to Trinidad, earlier that day, her family together with Rabenio and the children of Avenio “Abe” Sungit, (Rabenio’s brother) gathered at the UCCP local church in Quezon to receive the support from the UCCP national office for the children of the Abe Sungit. After the said meeting they went to the market to buy some goods for the family.  Trinidad, who was not far from Rabenio heard two gunshots and in an instant saw her husband fall to the ground.  Trinidad saw the long haired triggerman hurriedly left the scene immediately using a motorcycle driven by another person.   According to Rocky, he saw the perpetrators fled toward the North.  

Prior to the incident, Rabenio attended a Basic Human Rights Orientation Seminar in Puerto Princesa, Palawan organized by the UCCP South Luzon Jurisdiction.    

Trinidad and Winio (Rabenio’s brother) said that when Rabenio was still alive, they were frequently visited by elements from the Philippine Marines. Likewise, Rolbing, a nephew of Rabenio and chieftain of the Pelaw’an tribe, believed to be an informer of the military, was noticed of always inquiring about the latter’s whereabouts.

Members of the family and the whole bereaved Pelaw’an indigenous tribal communities are in query and awe on who are the perpetrators of Rabenio’s killing and what are the motives behind it. According to them, the victim was known to be a simple and gentle person. He doesn’t engage in vices like liquor drinking and gambling, but instead focused his energies on working daily to make ends meet for his family. He was a kind, just and a respected figure- he was a leader of their community who stood up in defense of people’s rights. He championed the indigenous rights for ancestral lands against encroachments of large scale mining companies and other environmentally-destructive projects.

Families and friends are further disturbed and angered by the incident as this is not the first to happen in their family and tribal community. Rabenio’s elder brother, Abe Sungit, one of the Pelaw’an leaders, a known staunch opposition and organizer against destructive mining operations and human rights violations, was also a victim of extrajudicial killing. Their steadfast and active involvement in just social causes for their rights as indigenous peoples solicited ill-will from the military who tagged them as “leftists” or “communists”. Abe Sungit was shot dead also by unidentified motorcycle-riding men in 2005.