MANILA – “Your Holiness, please intercede for us in seeking justice for our disappeared loved ones,” wrote families of desaparecidos to Pope Francis as they gathered at Plaza Miranda on All Souls Day.

As a renewal of vows to seek justice, they lighted candles and offered flowers to remember those who were forcibly abducted and disappeared by state security forces since martial law up to the present.

“It has been the practice of families and relatives of victims of enforced and involuntary disappearances to gather every November 2. Beyond remembering, we come together as a reminder that our loved ones have yet to be surfaced and the state’s policy of enforced disappearances be stopped,” said Desaparecidos secretary general Aya Santos.

It has become more significant as families of desaparecidos gathered to join the nation in awaiting the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines in January 2015.

Santos explained they have followed and listened to series of statements Pope Francis on justice and human rights. For the families, his visit is an opportune time to voice out the injustice and rights violations in the Philippines.

“Hope springs when on several occasions he made clear his firm stands to defend human rights and in seeking social justice. We turn to the Pope for support because under the current regime of Noynoy Aquino, human rights violations against the people intensify without let up. We stand as testimonies to the gross situation of human rights here,” Santos said.

Santos said there have been 21 victims of abduction under Pres. Aquino and has since added up to the number of desaparecidos since the Marcos dictatorship.

Despite the passage of the Anti-Enforced Disappearance Law, the crime of enforced disappearance continues as a state policy under Oplan Bayanihan, Aquino’s counter-insurgency program. Also, as a DAP recipient program, it uses public funds to abduct, torture and disappear persons. It also uses funds to coddle the likes of butcher Jovito Palparan who is a ‘free man’ at Fort Bonifacio.

“We pray that the good Pope will listen to our plea and stand one with us in calling to stop enforced disappearances in the Philippines. Dear Pope, please heed our call for justice. We cry out to surface all the disappeared, in the Philippines and other parts of the world, such as in Latin America and Argentina, the Pope’s homeland,” said Santos.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis is from Argentina, a nation that also suffered the worst kind of human rights violations under a dictatorial rule in the 1970s.

http://www.karapatan.org/Killing%2C+burning+of+school%2C+drive+Lumad+to+leave+homes

On October 27, six armed men set on fire a corn sheller and a school at Kabulohan, Barangay Buhisan, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur. The corn sheller was a donation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to the community. The men also set on fire to a UNICEF tarpaulin with a sign, “All schools are peace zones. Don’t use it as command post, detachment and supply depots. RA 7610 Protection of the Rights of Children”.

The residents tried to put out the fire but the men indiscriminately fired their guns, causing the people to scramble for safety. One of the school’s teachers Josephine Trimidal, who is eight months pregnant, and her husband jumped from their house to avoid the bullets. The teachers living in the teachers’ cottage, Julieto and Melanie Trimidal and their one-year old son, also jumped from the cottage and ran towards the nearby river.

“The incident is among the many cases of atrocities in the course of the combat operations by the joint forces of the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion under Lt. Col. Jesus Durante, 36th  Infantry Battalion, 3rd  Special Forces Battalion, 401st  Brigade, elements of (paramilitary) CAFGU, and the paramilitary group of Calpit Egua, and Marcos Bocales, former leader of Task Force Gantangan, a remnant of Gloria Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.

The series of events since first week of October led some 378 families or close to 1,800 individuals from 16 Lumad communities in Surigao del Sur to leave their homes and fields on October 27, and are now at the Diatagon Barangay Gym. At least 10 community schools and learning centers suspended classes affecting almost 900 pupils. The military also ransacked a community cooperative school.

There are already two victims of extrajudicial killings and two cases of enforced disappearances. Henry Sarsona Alameda, MAPASU council member and Aldren Dumaguit were killed on October 24, while Jojo Tejero and Elde Martinez are reported missing. They were last seen on October 23. Six other civilians were victims of frustrated killing.

The military operation is under the 4th Infantry Division now headed by Maj. Gen. Ricardo Visaya’s successor, Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao. Gen. Visaya is Gen. Palparan’s protégé, while Gen. Lactao promised to pursue what Visaya started with the 4th Infantry Division. Expectedly, “we see a rise in human rights violations and destruction of people-initiated projects such as the schools, cooperatives, and other community efforts to improve their lives,” Palabay added.

The 22 communities of MAPASU have been targets of massive military operations for years, and gross violations of human rights were committed in the course of such operations. In 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011, massive military operations forced the community members to evacuate.

In a command conference of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Oplan Bayanihan, AFP chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang announced the deployment of two more army brigades to Mindanao. Before this, there are already — at least — 55 combat battalions operating in areas considered as New People’s Army strongholds.

Reference:
Cristina “Tinay” Palabay
Secretary General
+63917-3162831

Angge Santos
Media Liaison
+63918-9790580

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PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
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Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Diliman
Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

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. 

http://www.karapatan.org/Karapatan+express+outrage+over+arrest+of+NGO+worker+in+Aquino+gov%E2%80%99t+hitlist

The attacks on development workers and activists, through what rights groups call a hitlist of the Aquino regime, continue when Dominiciano Muya, staff/agriculturist of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Northern Mindanao (RMP-NMR), was arrested on October 16 in Tagum City.

“Muya is the latest victim of the Department of National Defense-Department of Interior and Local Government (DND-DILG) hit list, with Php 4.8 million reward on his head. The list contains names of persons who are arbitrarily charged with fabricated criminal charges, violating their right to due process and with the military profiting from the monetary rewards for their arrest. This has to stop,” said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan.

On October 1, Lourdes Quioc and Reynaldo Ingal were arrested using a warrant of arrest for “Eugenia Magpantay” and “Agaton Topacio”. “Magpantay” and “Topacio” are also in the wanted list with Php5.6 million and Php 5 million each on their heads.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) alleged that Muya was a former staff of the CPP/NPA Northern Mindanao region, former Secretary of Guerrilla Front 18, Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee.

Karapatan said Muya, a staff for the RMP’s Sustainable Agriculture Program, is also a consultant of the Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Learning Center (STTILC), a community-based school for Lumad children, which the RMP had established. The institution is one of the groups in Mindanao that establish schools especially for the Lumad. According to the RMP, Muya is an agriculturist with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major in Soil Science at the University of Southern Mindanao.

On October 16, Muya was on his way back home in Brgy. Mankilam, Tagum City after canvassing materials for the construction of an STTILC school, when soldiers from the 10th Infantry Division (ID) with long firearms, who were 30 meters away from his house, asked if he was Dominiciano Muya. The soldiers removed Muya’s helmet, pulled him out from his motorcycle and brought him to a vehicle where he was blindfolded. The soldiers took his cellular phones and the P40,000 for the materials for the school construction.

During the course of the soldiers’ interrogation, Muya realized he was under surveillance for quite some time. In the vehicle, which Muya noticed was only going in circles, the soldiers asked what he was doing in a festival in Talaingod, why he was in Arakan, and other details of his activities on the rehabilitation efforts for typhoon Pablo survivors.

“The authorities know for a fact that Muya is really helping Lumad communities to raise themselves from disasters and helping children in their education. RMP’s efforts are among the people’s response to the BS Aquino government’s continuing neglect of indigenous peoples in Mindanao. It is bad enough to be neglected by your own government, but it is worse to be sanctioned by your own government for trying to fill in for its failures,” stated Cristina Palabay, Secretary General of Karapatan.

Capt. Sonza of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) showed Muya a copy of warrant of arrest for charges of multiple murder and frustrated murder. Also at the Davao City CIDG, a soldier of the 10th Infantry Division who introduced himself as the Civil Relations Officer wanted to get more information from Muya on the STTILC. Later, he was brought to the Malaybalay City Regional Trial Court, and then to the Bureau of Jail and Management and Penology (BJMP).

In 2012, many schoolhouses were destroyed by typhoon Pablo. The residents are now reconstructing the buildings and their homes with the help of several people’s organizations, including RMP-NMR.

Karapatan said that schools, however, are being subjected to attacks by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, using them as detachment or places of encampment and in red tagging people-initiated schools in Lumad communities as “NPA schools.” The group has documented 143,569 victims of the military’s use of schools, medical, religious and other public places for military purposes.

“With the RMP, we demand for the immediate release of Muya and let him continue his work for the Lumad children and their families. Those doing good for the poor are imprisoned and tagged as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA),” said Palabay.

Reference:
Cristina “Tinay” Palabay
Secretary General
+63917-3162831

Angge Santos
Media Liaison
+63918-9790580

———————————————————————
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
———————————————————————

Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Diliman
Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

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. 

http://www.karapatan.org/Families+of+victims+of+war+crimes+in+Lacub%2C+Abra+files+complaint+at+the+JMC+vs+GPH

“We call on the BS Aquino government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to immediately convene the GPH-NDFP Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) and immediately investigate the war crimes committed by the 41st Infantry Battalion during its military operation last Sept. 4 to 6,” Karapatan secretary general, Cristina Palabay said.

Karapatan, Cordillera Human Rights Alliance joined families of victims of war crimes in Lacub, Abra in filing complaints today at the GPH section of the JMC in Quezon City. The JMC was created in 2004 by both panels to monitor and investigate violations of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). CARHRIHL was signed by the GPH and NDFP in 1998.

“War is already bloody and costly as it is. That is why international humanitarian law exists—to make armed conflicts respectful to both civilians and fighters. Yet, the Armed Forces of the Philippines keeps on violating human rights and international humanitarian law,” Palabay said while citing the results of the autopsy conducted on the remains of the killed members of the New People’s Army during the Sept. 4-6 military operations in Lacub.

“Recca Monte’s skull was like a crushed eggshell; her leg bones were also crushed but sustained no gunshot wound” Palabay said. Monte, 33, an NPA fighter was one the seven NPA’s who was killed during the military operation in Lacub, Abra. “Arnold Jaramillo’s body, suffered multiple gunshot wounds with one shot in close range,” Palabay said.

“Even civilians were not spared with the soldiers’ violence,” Palabay said. Engr. Fidela Salvador of Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services (CorDis-RDs)  who happens to be in Lacub doing evaluation of projects was killed during the military operations.  Noel Viste, a resident of Lacub was also killed during the operations after being part of the group of civilians that was used as human shields by the soldiers.

“This is the kind of military the Philippine Government has—savages,” Palabay said. “With the worsening economic and political situation in the country, the same root causes of the armed conflict, the civil war in the Philippines will intensify. Thus, we fear more human rights violations and war crimes perpetrated by Philippine Army will also intensify,” Palabay said. “We call for both parties, the GPH and the NDFP to sit down at the negotiating table and substantially address the root causes of the civil war,” Palabay said.

“Who wouldn’t want the war to end and spare the lives of many? But if the root causes of this war continues, the poverty, puppetry, the repression, the violence and savagery, Filipinos will always find all the ways to fight back,” Palabay ended.

Reference:
Cristina “Tinay” Palabay
Secretary General
+63917-3162831

Angge Santos
Media Liaison
+63918-9790580

———————————————————————
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
———————————————————————

Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Diliman
Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

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.