A women’s group here said that women in the countrysides are increasingly vulnerable to sexual abuse by state forces occupying their communities.
A 16-year-old mother insisted that she wanted an Army personnel thrown to jail for allegedly raping her last month in their village in Bukidnon.
Lumads, including women and children, from Davao City countrysides and other areas who are now in the city to hop households to ask for “Christmas gifts”have been sleeping in sidewalks as their number exceeded the capacity of gymnasium shelter areas designated by the City government.
Banana’s ranking as the leading export commodity in the Philippines this year “does not help the situation of the workers”, a labor group said.
On the second year anniversary of typhoon Pablo (International name Bopha), survivors and support groups claimed that they remained displaced, this time by what they claimed was an insensitive relocation program of the government.
Progressive groups led a hunger strike and noise barrage protest to mark the International Political Prisoners Day.
Southern Mindanao region posted the highest in terms of the number of rights abuses cases, the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) said.
Militant marchers from Mindanao who wanted their grievances to reach the national government are now encamped in Manila and want to get a message out to legislators: “Listen to us.”
Women groups condemned the rape of a minor married woman from Bukidnon that was allegedly perpetrated by a soldier of the 84th Infantry Battalion.
Most cases of violence against women reported in Davao City were economic abuses, or depriving of financial support or opportunity to work for women.
