Human rights victims

 BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

“In the early morning of May 6, 1983, we were awakened by the sounds of firearms being fired in our community.  We thought that it was a dream. But it was never a dream. Members of the dreaded Civilian Home Defense Force attacked our village. All of us were rounded up and forced to the front of our church. There, we witnessed and suffered different forms of physical abuse. In front of our church, we also witnessed the burning of our nearby village.

“When the sun was up, we went to check our nearby village and what we saw is beyond words to describe. Three bodies of our relatives and village mates were tattered with bullets and burned. Their faces were beyond recognition. The victims were a seven-month pregnant mother and her four-year old daughter, and a barangay official.

“Because of this, we were forced to leave our village for two months. When we went back to our village, our animals were gone. Our houses were ransacked. Our rice was burned. We had nothing to eat. Our families struggled to make both ends meet.

“These are our memories of Martial Law that even today, we tremble by the mere thought of it. I am here today to file my claims as a victim and survivor. I do not expect monetary compensation in return but my action today is big step for me and my village in realizing that our collective effort against destructive logging is just and honorable.”

This was the statement of a human rights victim from Beew, Abra, who along with victims and survivors of Martial Law, filed human rights claims before the Human Rights Victims Claims Board at the Baguio Convention Center on July 24.

Their filing was in consonance to Republic Act 10368 or the Human Rights Victims and Recognition Act of 2013 which covers the period from Sept. 21, 1972 to Feb. 25, 1986 when human rights violations were committed.

But even as they filed their claims that day, they reported of being harassed by military agents who took their pictures without asking for their permission, main reason why the survivor said they requested for anonymity. 

The agents reportedly stayed there practically the whole day taking pictures of the filers and members of their families who accompanied them.

Later, some of them were reportedly followed by the agents as they boarded vehicles to go home. To this day, some of the human rights victims’ sons, daughters, relatives and town mates have carried on the fight in espousing their rights against destructive mining and logging activities including militarization of their hometowns which they said, contributed to more clashes between government and dissident forces like the New People’s Army.

This, they said, resulted to loss of livelihood among village folks as they were afraid to go to their fields due to clashes and presence of military troopers who harass them.       

Military abuses, they said, are still frequent in remote countrysides where folks are practically helpless against government troops who have reportedly been involved in human rights violations like rape and killings of ordinary citizens. In some cases troopers have reportedly courted and made married women their mistresses leading to separation of families.

One said city folks don’t know how it feels to live in the countryside where military men are stationed not knowing when the next violation would come. It seems the ghosts of the past just refuse to go away and in the case of the military, old, bad habits die hard.

Meanwhile, according to Jude Baggo, secretary general of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance, the passage of Republic Act 10368 was a temporary victory for victims, families, survivors and communities who suffered during Martial Law years of the Marcos dictatorshiP.

This law only proves that during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, the State used its machineries especially the armed state security forces to perpetrate widespread and systematic human rights violations against innocent civilians and communities in the name of national security.

 “We welcome this law but its requirements are overwhelming.  Its requirements are tedious and entail documents that are practically not available.  In our region and especially during Martial Law years, events in our indigenous communities were not documented on paper. Life and its cycles were based on rituals and traditions.

“There were no marriage contracts, birth and death certificates. Because also of State neglect, most communities during that time had no clinics and hospitals, therefore there were no medical certificates for torture, physical injuries or rape.

“Since it was Martial Law, the arrest and detention of innocent civilians in villages were not documented. The law requires most of these papers before filing any claim. Without possessing any of these documents, most victims cannot file their claims and narrow the chances of recognition and reparation. For those killed, disappeared, tortured, raped, massacred, arrested and detained, is this not too much for them to prove that they are victims by looking for documents that they do not possess?

“Even the required two valid government-issued IDs are difficult to produce since most of the victims are poor and cannot afford to secure an ID, and live in far-flung communities. There are even victims who cannot file in person because they do not have money to pay for their transportation. Others cannot afford to pay an amount of P50 for a notary of their documents.  

“Instead of providing easier access to justice, the law is actually limiting and even closing doors to victims to attain justice, to think that the victims have to relive their entire experience of suffering during the dark martial law years. The law asks too much from the victims instead of offering a helping hand. This law further exposes that the legal system we have which only caters to the rich and powerful.”

The CHRA called for an urgent review of RA 10368’s implementing rules and regulations.  Based on stories of victims from communities, most of the violations were reportedly mostly “collective in nature.” Most individual cases such as murder, torture, arrest and detention also happened in front of community residents, the CHRA said.  

“We propose that community testimonies should be honored as evidence to strengthen claims of indigenous peoples as victims. Lastly, we call for the resignation of former Philippine National Police General Lina Castillo-Sarmiento as the Chairperson of the Claims Board to pave way for a more neutral and credible review of the claims.”

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                Meanwhile,July 31, 2014 is the eight death anniversary of Alyce Omengan Claver and frustrated assassination of her husband Dr.Chandu Claver. “The Cordillera Peoples Alliance lights a candle, offers a prayer and pay tribute to the peoples’ martyr.  As we remember her, we continue the call for justice for Alyce and to all victims of extrajudicial killings in Kalinga and in the country,” said Windel Bolinget, CPA chairperson. “After eight long years, no justice is served and the perpetrators are on the loose.”

Exactly eight years ago, Alyce was killed in an ambush by state security forces in Tabuk, Kalinga in July 31, 2006. Alyce along with her husband, Chandu brought their children to school when bullets tattered their family car.

A CPA statement said the “family of Alyce and Dr.Chandu were known for their active involvement and participation on social issues affecting the people of Kalinga and the Cordillera. At the time of the incident, Dr.Chandu was the chairperson of CPA-Kalinga and Bayan Muna-Kalinga. Dr.Chandu was also active in other religious and health formations in the province.  It is strongly believed that the ambush targeted Dr.Chandu because of his involvement to people’s organizations and their issues.”

A month before the ambush, in June 8, 2006, Markus Bangit, CPA Elders Commission coordinator and Bayan Muna-Kalingavice chairperson was reportedly shot and killed in front of his son by state military forces in Isabela on their way to Baguio to enrol his son in college. “Alyce and Markus,” the statement said, were among the hundreds of activists and innocent civilians killed during the implementation of the dreaded Oplan Bantay Laya of the Gloria Arroyo regime.

“The present Aquino regime is no different with the past regime in terms of human rights record. It is implementing the OplanBayanihan which targets civilians and communities who are asserting and defending their lands, life, resources and rights. The massacre of the Ligiw family in Abra and the killing of William Bugatti in Ifugao are among the crimes of the Aquino regime to the people of the Cordillera.

“In her 8^th death anniversary, the CPA continues to call for justice for Alyce Claver. We will never get tired until justice is achieved. The state should be held accountable for all its crimes against the people. The perpetrators must be put behind bars. Without any arrest and justice, the whole population is at risk for being the next target.”