DAVAO CITY – A network advocating children’s rights and administrators of tribal schools in Davao region held a dialogue on Thursday with the Commission on Human Rights to discuss the alleged military attacks on lumad schools and communities who are tagged as “NPA schools” by the Army.
Kharlo Manano, lead convenor of Save our Schools and secretary general of Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns, said they handed the list of the schools under attack by the Armed Forces and paramilitary groups.
“We have high hopes that the new CHR chair will take a stand on the side of the lumad children and communities,” Manano added.
“Not less than 5,000 lumad children are affected by the attacks against Salugpungan schools and the Mindanao Interfaith Services Inc. Academy in Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental,” he said.
They were disappointed however, when the CHR’s newly-installed chairperson, Chito Gascon, did not face them but instead his executive assistant was the one who talked to them about their complaints and demands.
The group relayed the neglect of CHR Region 11 to look into the issue when the affected schools sought help from the latter in 2013 and 2014.
Manano said the CHR should investigate on these cases and “exhaust all legal remedies to hold the perpetrators accountable.”
The CHR committed to investigate on the cases and review DepEd Memo 221 which the groups point to as “one contributing factor that emboldens military presence inside schools.”
The group would hold a National Fact Finding Mission on July 13-15 in Cateel, Davao Oriental to look into allegations of military abuses in lumad communities, including cases of attacks on schools. (davaotoday.com)
