Justice for Eric Saber, justice for all victims of state violence! End impunity and corruption now!
KARAPATAN Public Information
PRESS STATEMENT
October 2, 2025
References: Maria Sol Taule, KARAPATAN Deputy Secretary General, 09452966916
KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 0918-9790580
Justice for Eric Saber, justice for all victims of state violence! End impunity and corruption now!
KARAPATAN stands in firm solidarity with the family, friends, and community of Eric Saber, the construction worker whose life was unjustly taken during the violent dispersal of the September 21 protests in Manila.
Eric was not a protester, he was simply passing by on his way home from work, yet his death is another tragic reminder that ordinary Filipinos are not safe from state violence and police brutality.
The independent autopsy has laid bare the truth: Eric Saber died from a gunshot wound. This fact exposes the lies of the Philippine National Police which repeatedly denied that they did not use firearms or teargas that day. Who else bore firearms during the dispersal but the police forces, the SWAT, and agents who are not in uniform? Eric’s death uncovers not only the lies of the PNP but also their readiness to spill innocent blood and evade accountability. His killing is damning proof of how deeply the culture of impunity has taken root within the police force.
Eric’s family did not only lose a breadwinner, but a son, a brother, an uncle, a loved one. It is made worse by the shameless attempt of the police to whitewash the circumstances of his death. As we march with his family today and lay him to his final rest, we carry their cries for truth and justice.
We demand accountability for those responsible for the killing of Eric Saber. We call for an immediate, independent, and credible investigation into his case and into the many other rights violations committed by the police during the September 21 dispersal. We likewise reiterate our demand to end the practice of illegal arrests, arbitrary detention, and the systematic brutality of state forces.
Eric’s death also underscores the deep-seated corruption that festers within government institutions. Instead of serving and protecting the people, the Philippine National Police is engaged in cover-ups, burying the truth and evading accountability. This is the same system that robs the Filipino people through corruption, which doubly violates the very basic rights of the people. Justice for Eric Saber therefore means not only punishing those who pulled the trigger, but dismantling the corrupt and repressive machinery that enabled his killing.
KARAPATAN, together with the Saber family, with workers, youth, urban poor communities, and people’s organizations, will not allow Eric’s death to be forgotten. His life, like those of so many others who have fallen victim to state violence, strengthens our resolve to pursue justice and to resist repression in all its forms.
As Eric Saber is laid to rest, we vow to continue the struggle against tyranny, corruption, injustice, and impunity.
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.