The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday condemned the recent killing of South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur Vice Mayor Roldan Benito and his bodyguard Weng Marcos.
“CHR notes that this incident is a recent addition to the long list of violence committed against elected government officials this 2024. We express our concern over the continued occurrences of violence committed against public officials as the 2025 midterm elections draw closer,” CHR said.
“Continued occurrences of violence only cultivate a climate of fear amongst the voters and public officials themselves, and may bring detrimental implications on the results of the upcoming elections. Whether this incident is politically-motivated or not, we emphasize that every human being has the right to live without fear of harm of violence,” it added.
Benito, along with his family and bodyguard, were in a pickup truck in Barangay Pandan when armed individuals with long firearms attacked their vehicle.
The wife of Benito, who was also wounded in the encounter, is also the incumbent captain of Barangay Pandan.
“As part of our Constitutional mandate, we have deployed a Quick Response Operation through CHR Region XII to aid in the pursuit of truth and to investigate the matter,” CHR said.
“We recognize the swift action and coordination carried out by the law enforcement agencies in the area, particularly the South Upi Police and the Philippine Army to conduct the appropriate investigation on the incident. As of writing, the motive of the perpetrators are yet to be determined,” it added.
