LIFT MARTIAL LAW. Progressive groups in Davao City appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte to lift Martial Law in Mindanao because of the rise of human rights violations. Activists protested in front of the office of the Commission of Human Rights XI on Friday, June 23, a month after Duterte declared Martial Law. (Robby Joy D. Salveron/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY – Various progressive groups here protested in front of the Commission of Human Rights XI on Friday, June 23, slamming the claim of CHR that no violation of human rights was recorded a month after President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao.
On Sunday, June 18, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in Malacaňang that they welcome the remarks of the CHR through the statement of CHR Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz that there have been no reports of human rights abuses since the declaration.
Abella said that “fears and anxiety” regarding human rights violations amidst the implementation of Martial Law can now be put to rest.
However, based on the summary of rights violations documented by Karapatan-Southern Mindanao Region, a number of violations were recorded since Mindanao has been placed into Martial law:
Political killings: 5
Frustrated killings: 2
Strafing: 8
Threat, harassment, and intimidation: 3,147
Destruction of Properties: 14
Illegal arrests: 23
Forcible evacuation due to indiscriminate aerial bombing and mortar shelling: 2,000
Killed due to indiscriminate aerial bombing and firing: 2
Frustrated killing due to indiscriminate aerial bombing and firing: 2
During the protest, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-SMR Secretary General Sheena Duazo called CHR as inutile after it released a questionable report.
“Tama lang na tawagon inutil ug dili na magpasang-at sa CHR kay tungod pila naka kaso ang gipasang-at nangabulok nalng ang mga papel sa sulod walay hustisya nga nakab-ot ang mga pamilya. Walay kredibilidad ang CHR nga magstorya og tawhanong katungod (It is right to call them worthless and we won’t file to CHR anymore because many cases were already filed and papers inside are rotten but justice is still not given to the families. The CHR does not have the credibility to talk about human rights),” Duazo said.
The CHR 11 told Davao Today that the claim of having “zero human rights violation” came from the agency’s central office in Manila. However, the agency assured that investigations on the alleged human rights violations in the region are ongoing.
But Duazo maintained that violations were done by military forces in rural communities, especially on Lumad schools such as the recent incident in Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
According to Duazo, a member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and believed to be a member also of the Alamara, named Rodel Buntalog, fired at the school at around 10 a.m on Tuesday.
Around 50 students and five teachers were at the school premise during that time.
“Klaro nga adunay responsibilidad ang kasundaluhan sa pagpamatay sa katawhanong lumad labi na sa kabukiran. Sulod sa isa ka bulan sa Martial law, dili mga Maute, dili mga terorista ang labawng naangol, ang mga sibilyan (It’s clear that the military forces are responsible for killings especially in the uplands. Within one month of Martial law, the casualties and victims are not just the Maute, not the terrorists, but the civilians),” Duazo said.
Meanwhile, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-SMR Spokesperson Tony Salubre also blamed the military troops on the disturbance of farmers’ lives because of the prevailing military operations in the farmlands.
“Ang mga sundalo gipangsaka ang mga balay, nga walay pagpananghid ngadto sa mga tag-iya sa balay. Ang ilang katarungan, Martial law kuno. Ingon ana nga paglapas sa katawhanong katungod. Dili na moila ug dili na morespeto ang mga kasundaluhan nianing mga panghitaboa (Soldiers forcibly enter houses without the authority of the owners. Their reason is because of Martial law. That is how they violate human rights. Soldiers do not recognize and respect us in this kind of situation),” Salubre said.
Salubre claimed that the farmers have the most number of victims and deaths since the implementation of Martial law. He said that the declaration gave the military forces the license to commit harassments.
He challenged the CHR to investigate the reported abuses at the highlands. The progressive groups also called for President Duterte to lift Martial Law and stop the aerial bombings in Marawi. (davaotoday.com)
