1 July 2025
The NUPL unequivocally condemns the relentless harassment and intimidation being inflicted upon the family of Bloody Sunday victims, Randy and Puroy Dela Cruz, members of the Dumagat indigenous people. Randy and Puroy were among the 9 activists and rights defenders from Southern Luzon who were brutally slain in one of the coordinated police operations in the early morning of March 7, 2021. The incident became popularly tagged as the Bloody Sunday Massacre.
Rather than investigating these unlawful killings, the Philippine National Police (PNP)—through PCOL. Lito E. Patay, then the Regional Chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)—shamelessly endorsed the promotion of the officers involved.
The Dela Cruz family has been left to fight alone for justice for Randy and Puroy. As they prepare the documentation necessary for a criminal complaint, NUPL has received credible reports that members of the PNP, specifically from the Tanay Municipal Police Station, have engaged in deliberate acts of harassment and intimidation. On June 15, 2025, uniformed personnel confronted Randy’s wife at their home in Tanay, Rizal, in an attempt to coerce the family into silence and deter them from pursuing legal action.
These repeated intrusions are unlawful, unethical, and a blatant abuse of power. They reveal not just an intent to obstruct justice but also point to the direct involvement and accountability of those responsible for the extrajudicial killings.
NUPL issues this final warning to all concerned AFP and PNP personnel: immediately cease and desist from any contact or communication with our clients, without the knowledge of their lawyers and their express consent. Any further interference will compel us to take all necessary legal action against those responsible, without hesitation.
Reference:
Atty. Katherine A. Panguban
+639566730301
Atty. Julianne B. Agpalo
+639178870776
