Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) Bishop Felixberto Calang has questioned the way more than a dozen individuals were arrested by law enforcers in General Santos City on Wednesday night.
Detained church workers and rights activists were released ?on bail after ?their ?arrest on the evening of July 4? in General Santos City ?while holding an organizational consultation on peasant and ?tribal issues?.
Contrary to the claim of the Philippine National Police, human rights group Karapatan said, on Friday, that the case of the strip-search that took place in Makati City was not an isolated case as similar incidents happened involving state forces and agents in various parts of the country.
Davao Today accompanied the Save our Schools Network when it conducted a national fact-finding mission comprised of various rights groups on July 27 to 30 at Barangay Basak, Lebak to investigate the incidents of harassment, and encampment of Lumad schools and communities by government troops in the province.
Amidst reports from human rights group that authorities are responsible for the spate of forced surrender of peasant and indigenous people, the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Southern Mindanao claimed thousands of individuals are undergoing "re-orientation" under its counter-insurgency campaign.