PANACAN, Davao City – About 300 activists rallied from Malagamot intersection and picketed in front of the Eastern Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the 43rd commemoration of Martial Law on Monday.
43 years ago, Martial Law was declared by former President Ferdinand Marcos putting the country under military rule with high count of killings, tortures, arrests and disappearances, and other HRVs of government critics.
Marcos was ousted after a mammoth rally called the first People Power.
Today, Martial Law no longer exists, but for Sheena Duazo, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) “the recent spate of killings of the Lumads and displacements of Lumad communities all over Mindanao in recent months, makes us wonder if Martial Law has really ended.”
Duazo, said “they condemn the series of human rights violations in Southern Mindanao Region perpetrated by the state forces.”
In June this year, Datu Ruben Enlog, a peasant leader in Paquibato was killed after state forces strafed their house. The military said Enlog was among the members of the NPA who fired at them.
Last August 18, five Lumads were shot dead in Pangantucan, Bukidnon on the same allegation that those killed were members of the rebel group. On the same day, Joel Gulmatico, a peasant leader from Arakan, North Cotabato was shot dead a few meters away from his house.
Last August 26, 15 lumads from White Culaman, Kitaotao Bukidnon, were “illegally arrested and detained” on the accusations that they are members and leaders of revolutionary group in the community.
On September 1, three community leaders including a school director in Sitio Han-ayan, Barangay Diatagon, Surigao del Sur were killed by the paramilitary group Magahat-Bagani Force in front of the community.
Hanimay Suazo, spokesperson of human rights group Karapatan said that “this time, human rights defenders and other media personalities are being attacked and red tagged as NPA protectors,” as they were just “doing their mandate to support the victims of HRVs.”
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST. Hanimay Suazo of human rights group Karapatan says they condemn the Army’s “red-tagging” against her and other activists leaders who are called as supporters of the New People’s Army(NPA). (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
“Just because (the government) cannot curb the insurgency in the country, we, as human rights defenders are easily targeted,” Suazo said.
Suazo added red-baiting or red-tagging is “conditioning [us] that anytime, anywhere, we can be killed.”
Suazo said that the only difference of the late Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Law and President Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan is that, the latter “is undeclared” and the “Aquino regime is saying that they respect human rights”.
Suazo said that the current administration “knows that they are committing HRVs, but still continue to justify the violations. That is how deceptive and liar the Aquino administration is.”
Under President Aquino’s anti-insurgency campaign, Oplan (Operation Plan) Bayanihan, Karapatan recorded 300 cases of HRVs in the country, 48 of which are extra-judicial killings in Davao region. She said there are already 70 cases of massacre, 50 of which are in Mindanao, and 18 are from Davao region.
Suazo said “under Oplan Bayanihan, they created paramilitary groups, providing arms to the indigenous peoples.”
She said this is “one of the reasons why there are many cases of evacuations in Mindanao.”
She added that these paramilitary groups are now attacking civilians who they considered members or supporters of the NPA and are also closing schools that are being provided by different non-government organizations who are also accused of supporting the rebels.
Datu Tongig Mansimuy-at, one of the tribal leaders of the bakwits from Talaingod, Davao del Norte who sought refuge at the UCCP Haran, said “because of the harassment and red-tagging and the continuing encampment of armies and paramilitary groups”.
LUMAD EVACUEES in the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Haran compound join the march rally at Camp Panacan on Monday to denounce “militarization” of their communities. (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
For five months now, Mansimuy-at and other bakwits from Talaingod and Bukidnon continue to stay in Haran for “they feel more secured in the evacuation camp.”
“Mas grabe karon, gipang patay among mga igsoon, sa among mga katribu (It is worse now, our brothers are being killed by our fellow tribesmen),” Mansimuy-at said.
Mansimuy-at also said that “it is not only community members who suffer from intimidation and vilification from the state forces and its paramilitary groups, our schools are closed and our teachers are threatened.”
Juno Vegas of the Rise for Education Alliance in Southern Mindanao said, “we could not understand the government’s logic that for the longest time, they did not provide education [to the lumads] and now they are closing it.”
Vegas said that it is “a shame and dumb move for our government especially on our rights on education.”
However, Vegas noted that the violation on the rights on education does not only happening in the country side. He said that students from different colleges and universities suffers from the rising cost of tuition.
“This is what we consider as the presence of Martial Law this time,” Vegas said
Vegas added that, “the continuing rise of other fees and cutting the budget [in state universities and colleges] and killing activists who criticize the current regime,” shows Martial Law at present time.
As the son of the late Ninoy Aquino who fought Martial Law back then, Suazo said that, “he [President Benigno Aquino III is the ultimate opposite” of his parents.
“He [PNoy] even bragged about being a child of the icons of democracy, because his parents are anti-martial law. But Martial Law is so alive, although it is undeclared,” Suazo said. (davaotoday.com)
TRADE UNION REPRESSION. Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) commemorates the dark old days of trade union repression. (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
