REENACTING THE HORROR. Children of Barangay Mangayon, town of Compostela, Compostela Valley dramatize how they were harassed and forced by government soldiers to act as guides in their counter-insurgency operations . This was part of the Save Our Schools: Children’s Camp launched by child advocates in Panansalan, Compostela last October 29 to call for the protection of children’s rights in the observance of Children’s Month. (file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines—A group of community educators slammed the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the paramilitary group Alamara for conducting series of attacks against Lumad schools in Davao region.
Ricky Balilid, spokesperson of the Alliance of Community Educators, in particular, hit out the Army’s 10th Infantry Division for tagging the Lumad educational institutions in Davao region as “enemies of state forces.”
“Our members of the Alliance of Community Educators reported series of harassments against Lumad educational institutions in Southern Mindanao Region,” Balilid said, noting that there’s “nothing to celebrate” as the country celebrate its 119th Independence Day.
He reported that on Monday, ACE President Ramel Miguel and teacher-in charge of Salugongan Ta’ Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, Inc. was harassed by four members of Alamara when they forcefully entered the school’s compound in Sitio Nasilaban, Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
“For 30 minutes, Teacher Ramel was interrogated and maliciously tagged as rebel sympathizer. Until now, ALAMARA and the AFP are still occupying the community, harassing and intimidating more Lumads,” Balilid said.
Miguel has identified one leader of the Alamara paramilitary group as Rudel Buntalog. The paramilitary group’s leader, according to Balilid, was accompanied by AFP personnel who “have been intruding the school’s premises and interfering the school’s activities three times this month.”
Buntalog forcibly entered the school premises in Sitio Nasilaban, Barangay Palma Gil on June 1 without any permission and interrogated Miguel regarding the STTICLCI’s operations and legal documents, he added.
“The forceful entry of Buntalog is a clear and outright insult to the educational institution,” he pointed out.
Apart from harassments, the group also documented cases on restriction on the use of/ and destruction of properties in Sitio Dulyan, Barangay Palma Gil, where the military troops belonging from the Army’s 60th Infantry Batallion“took control of the water system and restricted the local residents for access.”
Earlier this month, community members in Nasilaban at Talaingod, Davao del Norte were also threatened for them not to participate in the Salugpongan’s Brigada Eskwela.
In a separate event, on June 5 at around 3 p.m, STTICLCI’s former student Arnold Dalin and PTCA Secretary in Nasilaban Lorena Mandacawan were “blocked by state armed forces under 60th IB and paramalitary group Alamara in Sitio Butay, Barangay Palma Gil” while they were on their way to attend the Brigada Eskwela of the Lumad school.
“Mandacawan experienced grave threat as Butanlog aimed his gun on her. Teacher Ramel had to fetch them from the distressing situation that the Alamara and AFP had caused,” the group said.
“The ACE strongly condemns the relentless harassment, interrogation, and vilification sustained by STTICLCI personnel and the entire lumad community in Talaingod, Davao del Norte. We believe that the recent incidents are attacks against the right to education and the indigenous people’s right to self-determination,” Balilid said.
“We call on the Armed Forces of the Philippines to back-off and stop harassing our schools. It is a cowardly act to target peace-loving civilians and community schools. The AFP must and should be occupied in dealing with their combatant enemies, and not our educational institutions,” he added. (davaotoday.com)
