MANILA, Philippines - Human rights groups in Region 9 are joining the call for justice by the family of a Filipino worker who died in a US military facility inside a Philippine Army camp in Marawi City.

Gregan Cardeño was found dead inside his quarters on February 3 inside the facilities of the US Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines. The American facility is located inside the camp of Army’s 103rd Brigade in Marawi City.

Cardeño had just started work February 2. He was hired as a contractual employee through a local security agency to work as an interpreter for US soldiers. Cardeño was reportedly fluent in different local dialects, like Tausug and Bisaya, and even Bahasa of Indonesia.

Initial reports from Marawi police indicated that Cardeño allegedly committed suicide. Cardeño’s family, however, said they doubt the result of the initial police probe.

Wounds, contusions

In a press conference in Zamboanga City, Faye Mae Reyes, niece of Cardeño, showed some pictures of his uncle's cadaver during the autopsy conducted by experts of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Faye Mae Reyes, niece of Gregan Cardeño, during a press conference in Zamboanga City

The pictures showed that Cardeño sustained four 3-inch wounds on his legs and some contusions on his head.

Ariel de Asis of Initiatives for Peace in Mindanao (InPeace Mindanao), a local human rights group, said that Cardeño's anus show some signs of penetration.

They also questioned why Marawi City officials allowed the transport of Cardeño's cadaver to Zamboanga City without the proper permits from the local health office.

Bai Indayla of Kawagib, another local human rights group helping the Cardeño family, said the late Filipino interpreter’s kin has filed a formal complaint to the Commission on Human Rights’ Regional Office 9. But reportedly due to an issue of jurisdiction, the case was endorsed to the CHR office in Iligan City.

"Turtle-like pace"

The investigators of CHR in Iligan, meanwhile, acted on the complaint. The CHR team, however, was prevented from entering the premises of the US facility to conduct an ocular inspection and investigation.

The family of Cardeño are also questioning what they said was the turtle-like pace of the investigation by the Marawi police on their relative’s death.

They cited that there is still no final result of the police investigation.

The family is also waiting for the result of the autopsy conducted by the NBI Regional Office 9 to shed light on the real cause of Cardeño’s death.

Case to be elevated

The Justice for Gregan Cardeño Movement has been organized, backed by two human rights groups in the region - Kawagib and InPeace Mindanao. They said that they are now planning to bring the matter to the committees on human rights of the Philippine’s House of Representatives and Senate as well as the Legislative Oversight Committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Indayla said she believes this issue does not only affect Cardeño’s family as they seek justice and truth in the investigation, but will also affect the relationship of the US and the Philippines.

The human rights groups, meanwhile, reiterated their positions that the RP-US VFA should be totally abolished, since the issue of sovereignty is at stake.