Statement on the 43rd Anniversary of Martial Law in the Philippines

By New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines

On September 21, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in the Philippines by ordering Proclamation No. 1081 and subsumed the country under military rule. He claimed to fight a war against “dangerous communists” and “insurgents.” Marcos’ ulterior motives for imposing martial law, however, was to quell dissent towards an already oppressive establishment that he led. Many activists and oppressed people were harassed, tortured, killed, and forcibly disappeared during this time as the military went on a rampage to exterminate the people’s spirit of resistance. The Filipino people’s discontent was caused by rising national debt, government corruption, underdevelopment of industries, privatization of basic services, and landlessness of peasant farmers who make up the majority of the population.

Despite its force, the military could not eradicate the people’s strength and power. They rose up and organized by the thousands to topple martial law and the Marcos dictatorship. The will and power of the people stopped martial law in 1981. However, the fight for freedom and an end to state repression continues today, four decades later.

We see the concrete realities of this continued struggle for resistance in the small community of Han-ayan, in the Caraga region of Mindanao. Caraga is one of the mining capitals of the world. It is rich in gold, bauxite, nickel and other minerals and precious metals. Foreign large-scale mining corporations from all over the world, particularly from Australia, Japan, and the United States, occupy Caraga to extract its wealth.

In Han-ayan, two schools were formed by indigenous Lumad people in response to the lack of education they receive from the government and a need to teach their youth their rights and a sustainable livelihood. The schools are Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV) and Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur (TRIPFSS). These schools have aided in teaching the students not only literacy and arithmetic, but also lessons about how they can organize to stop foreign mining from encroaching on their ancestral lands and displacing them from their homes.

In 2010, a young man from Han-ayan was shot in the back by members of the military after he left his home before the 5:00 am curfew imposed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to strip abaca in the forest. Stripping abaca, a strong fibrous plant which can be woven into useful products such as baskets and clothings, is how his family and many others in his community are able to provide for themselves. During the curfew, his family made less money because they could not begin working as early as they normally would.

His friends found him injured and brought him to a hospital, but that hospital refused to treat him, as did the next one after that. The third hospital attended to him but did not report the military issued bullet that they removed from his back even though it was protocol to do so. The hospital staff told him that he must have shot himself in the back. Since the shooting, he can no longer carry heavy loads or eat too much, which has harmed his ability to provide for his family. He has lived in constant fear of the military finding him again and completing the first task they had set to do. His story is just one example of the systematic oppression that others in Han-ayan live under.

When we ask who the military are protecting in Mindanao, our answer is clear. It is not the Lumad, who they kill, harass, and displace. It is the corporate interests of the foreign mining companies that the Lumad, who have ancestral rights to the land they pillage, have opposed. Can we say martial law has truly ended when young students still fear walking within their own communities because the military may target and kill them? Can we say martial law has truly ended when children are displaced from their homes and schools by the threat of military troops who will burn their buildings if they don’t leave? Can we say martial law has truly ended when leaders of schools that serve marginalized and oppressed populations of Lumad people are brutally targeted and murdered?

Marcos’s Martial Law officially ended over 40 years ago, but a new version has emerged under a different name and face. It was Oplan Banta Laya, under the Arroyo administration, which killed over 1,000 civilians. Today, it is Oplan Bayanihan, under current President Aquino, which is already responsible for the deaths of over 200 civilians. And it will continue under whatever counterinsurgency programs subsequent presidents introduce unless the people collectively resist state-sanctioned violence and repression.

Just as in the time of Marcos, the people continue to rage against the killing machine of the Philippine government, and we must support them in the face of escalating human rights injustice! As human rights activists in the United States, we have to oppose the fact that our tax dollars are used to fund the government death squads that target the Lumad and other peoples’ movements in the Philippines. NYCHRP supports fighting for a Philippines that is truly free from foreign domination and corporate greed. The people have proven themselves to be strong and they will be victorious in shutting down all forms of oppression once and for all through the fight for national democracy. National democracy is the only answer to ensure that foreign corporate interests will no longer determine what is good for the Filipino people, but that the Filipino people are able to reap the benefits of their own rich land and their own labor!

Fight for National Democracy in the Philippines!
Stop Lumad Killings!
Save Our Schools!

~~~

Reference:
Natalie Agosto
Mass Campaigns Officer, NYCHRP
nychrp@gmail.com

New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP) is a local education and advocacy group based in New York City that works to promote social, economic, and political alternatives that foster democracy and peace based on justice in the Philippines and for Filipinos in the diaspora today.

NYCHRP shares the vision of human rights advanced by the National Democratic movement of the Philippines. NYCHRP educates, organizes, and mobilizes people and communities in NYC to take progressive action in upholding and supporting human rights in the Philippines and throughout the world.

For more information, please contact:
facebook.com/NYCHRP
NYCHRP@gmail.com
NYCHRP.info
@NYCHRP on Twitter & Instagram

Photos courtesy of Balitang NY.

Karapatan at Berlin human rights conference: Political killings, committed with impunity, continue in the Philippines

http://www.karapatan.org/Political+killings%2C+committed+with+impunity%2C+continues+in+PH

In a conference organized by German human rights advocates and church workers in Berlin, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay called on the international community to support the call for justice for the 282 victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, including the 49 Lumad killed under the Aquino administration.

“The palpable imprints of Marcos’ martial law continue to exist, as political killings perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and their paramilitary groups continue unabated. Pres. Aquino’s counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan has resulted to killings, illegal arrests and detention, torture, forcible evacuation of whole communities, among others. These violations, committed with impunity, have to stop,” Palabay said.

The conference organized by the German Action for Human Rights in the Philippines (Aktionsbundnis Menschenrechte Philippinen-AMP) was held from September 21-22, 2015 in Berlin, Germany.  The AMP is a network of Germany-based organizations namely Amnesty International-Germany, Bread for the World, the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) Misereor, Mission Munich, philippinenburo im Asienhaus, and IPON.

Palabay also pointed out that human rights defenders of Karapatan have become targets of the AFP because they stand by the victims of human rights violations, specifically the Lumad in Mindanao. Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay and Karapatan Southern Mindanao Secretary General Honey Mae Suazo have been red tagged, maligned by the AFP through false statements and included in a military “hitlist,” while Karapatan Caraga Secretary General Eliza Pangilinan has been charged with fabricated cases.

Palabay was an invited speaker to the conference with the theme “Democracy – No Guarantee for Human Rights Repression against Civil Society in the Philippines.” Palabay spoke on the impunity of human rights violations against human rights defenders in the Philippines. United Church of Christ in the Philippines General Secretary Bp. Reuel Marigza, also a speaker in the said conference, also appealed to the international community to support the Lumad who were forcibly displaced from their communities due to military operations of the AFP.

Palabay also met Angelika Glockner, a German Parliamentarian and member of the Bundestages’ Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, to brief her on the human rights situation in the Philippines.

“We are also enjoining human rights advocates in Germany and in Europe to demand that the Philippine government issue official invitations to the UN special rapporteurs on extrajudicial killing, human rights defenders and the rights indigenous peoples,” Palabay stated. Karapatan earlier submitted complaints to the UN special procedures on the September 1 killing of Lumad leaders Dionel Campos and Datu Juvello Sinzo, and Emerito Samarca, executive director of Lumad alternative school ALCADEV.

Karapatan welcomes UN special rapporteurs’ statements

Meanwhile, Karapatan welcomed the September 22, 2015 joint statements issued by UN Special Rapporteurs on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, and on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, on the killing of Campos, Sinzo and Samarca.

“Military occupation of civilian institutions and killing of civilians, particularly in places such as schools which should remain safe havens for children from this type of violence, are unacceptable, deplorable and contrary to international human rights and international humanitarian standards,” the Special Rapporteurs said.

The Special Rapporteurs expressed serious concern about the increasingly pervasive insecurity and rising unlawful killings of human rights activists in the conflict-prone regions of the Philippines. Mr. Forst urged the Government to finally accept his repeated requests to visit the country in order to assess the environment in which human rights defenders operate in the Philippines.

UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, also endorsed the two experts’ call. For the full statement of the UN special procedures, please click this link:

http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16481&LangID=E

“Aquino and his mad dogs in the AFP will try as much as possible to ignore the repeated requests of the UN and other international monitors to investigate the rights abuses in the Philippines. It is our duty, the people’s duty, to persevere to make them accountable for several violations of international humanrights instruments,” Palabay concluded.

For reference:
Cristina Palabay, Secretary General
(thru email: karapatan@karapatan.org
or social media accounts: @TinayPalabay
or www.facebook.com/tinay.palabay)

———————————————————————
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.

“The attempts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deny their links to the Magahat-Bagani paramilitary groups involved in the massacre of three Lumad leaders and to discredit the communities they victimized backfired when they presented before the media the so-called datu of Mindanao who turned out to be known leaders of paramilitary groups,” said Marie Hilao-Eriquez, Karapatan chairperson.

The AFP has been doing the rounds and presenting before the media three ‘datu’ who are members of paramilitary groups, namely: Marcial Belandres, Nestor Apas, and Lumansad Sibogan.

“The AFP just gave us proof of their links to the paramilitary groups.” Hilao-Enriquez also scorned the shots of Winnie Monsod, a  self-confessed member of Oplan Bayanihan’s “multisectoral advisory group”, who echoed the same lies peddled by the AFP, resorting to victim blaming, and fueling AFP’s Lumad versus Lumad storyline.

Below are some of the documented involvement of the AFP-backed ‘datu’ in human rights violations among Lumad:

1. Marcial Belandres was identified by witnesses as one of the killers of  Lumad leader Henry Alameda on October 24, 2014.  Alameda was dragged from his house towards the forest in Sitio Cabalawan, San Isidro, Lianga, Surigao del Sur. He was shot in the chest when held on to a post and resisted the attempt to bring him out of the community. The killing happened when units under the 24th Infantry Division were conducting combat operations in Lianga, Surigao del Sur and in San Lorenzo, Agusan del Sur. Specific units involved in the combat operations were the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion based in St. Christine, Lianga under Col. Jesus Durante, 36th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and the 3rd Special Forces under the 401st Brigade PA, members of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and members of  Calpit Egua paramilitary group were also seen with the AFP units.Marcial Belandres’ younger brother Waway Belandres is married to the sister of Calpet Egua, a known leader of a paramilitary group in Agusan del Sur. Waway was involved in the disappearance of Jojo Tejero and Elde Martinez on October 22, 2014 in Sitio Kapatagan, San Roque, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur. The same Army units mentioned above were also with them when Tejero and Martinez were last seen. On October 24, 2014, Waway and the Egua paramilitary group also indiscriminately fired at Brgy. Captain Alejandro Dumaguit and his children Elejen and Aldren Dumaguit; and neighbors Alfredo Undayon, Victor Undayon and minors “Enggoy” and “Lynlyn” in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

2. Nestor Apas is a known leader of Alamara, a paramilitary group in Davao del Norte. He is a self- declared tribal leader of Langilan Manobo tribe in Kapalong, Davao del Norte. On February 6, 2015, Apas was seen with soldiers from the 60thIB-PA, led by 1Lt. Roldan and 2Lt. Carino, who encamped at the Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation, a Lumad school in Kapalong, Davao del Norte. He was involved in harassing teachers and students. He also instigated and facilitated the filing of trumped-up criminal charges against leaders and supporters of the Manabo evacuees who are seeking temporary shelter at UCCP Haran, Davao City. Apas was with the Alamara paramilitary group and Congresswoman Nancy Catamco during the raid at the UCCP on  July 23, 2015.

3. Lumansad Sibogan is a leader of Alamara and a member of the Tribal Council of Talaingod of the National Commission of Indigenous People. He was among those seen with the 38thIB-PA who encamped in schools in Talaingod, Davao del Norte and forcibly recruiting Lumad into Alamara. ###

http://www.karapatan.org/Who+are+the+AFP-backed+%E2%80%9CDatu%E2%80%9D%3F

Reference:
Marie Hilao-Enriquez
Chairperson
+639175616800

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.