‘Peace
talks disrespected’
By Alma
B. Sinumlag
LUBUAGAN, Kalinga –
Elements of the Philippine Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion were urged by local
folks here and militant groups to leave the town and other parts of the
province for sex abuses, encamping in schools and “disrespecting peace
talks.”
While the core of the
discussions on the International Human Rights Day held in Western Uma of this
town was human rights violations committed by state security forces, elements
of the 50thIB reportedly roamed the program area after encamping at the
elementary school, day care center, and barangay hall.
Following this,
delegates who came from different parts of the region made a petition urging
the 5th IB to leave the town and other areas where they are allegedly harassing
civilians.
Earlier, villagers of
Western Uma registered their clamor for soldiers’ pull out from their
community.
For more than one year
of encampment, several human rights violations committed by the said unit have
been documented by residents.
They submitted a
petition to headquarters of the 50th IBPA but this was reportedly ignored.
Instead, harassment continued.
The villagers
mentioned during the activity that those who were brave to reveal the
violations were further intimidated, threatened, and harassed.
Whenever the villagers
tell the soldiers to move out of the community, the soldiers would tell them
that they will only move out if the government tells them to.
It was reiterated
during the International Human Rights Day activity attended by more than 400
delegates from the province that encampment inside the community was a
violation of peoples’ collective rights.
The presence of the
soldiers endangered the civilian population, they said.
The delegates
condemned the multiple human rights violations including sexual harassment
against villagers of Western Uma.
They said it was not
only the village experiencing military encampment but Balbalan and Pinukpuk
towns.
In the declaration of
the delegates, it was stated, “Ti panagkampo ti AFP nga awan pulos pammakada
ken ti panangiyaleng-aleng iti posisyon ti umili ket nalawag a panagtagibassit
ken pananglabsing iti karbegan mi iti bukod a pangngeddeng” (The military
encampment without the peoples’ consent and the AFP’s discredit of the
communities’ clamor for pull out is an outright discrimination and violation of
our right to self-determination).
Kennedy Bangibang,
National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant on Cordillera
Affairs for the peace process between the Government of the Philippines (GRP)
and NDFP raised the concern on the AFP’s disrespect on the ongoing peace talks.
As he shared updates
on the peace talks, he admonished the soldiers who were occupying the
elementary school, day care center and the barangay hall.
He demanded them to go
back to their barracks if the AFP has respect on peace negotiations.
Bangibang told the
community that he will relay the situation among the peace panel during the 3rd
round of talks in Rome, Italy on January next year.
Rogyn Beyao, secretary
general of Innabuyog Kalinga slammed the use of the schools as military camps.
Beyao cited R.A. 7610 otherwise known as “Schools are Zones of Peace” and the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that protects the rights of children
to life and education.
While the activity was
ongoing, elements of the 50th IBPA roamed around, taking pictures of delegates,
instilling fear especially among villagers, delegates said.
Town folks said they
suspected soldiers were trying to sabotage the community activity by holding an
unscheduled symposium on Dec. 9 which was supposedly a preparation of the venue
of the International Human Rights Day celebration.
They even used a
dental mission to divert the attention of the delegates, they said.
Jude Baggo of
Cordillera Peoples Alliance said, it was ironic that every time people
celebrate the day for human rights, violations are escalating.
“We should be
celebrating the respect of human rights but the situation always calls for
condemnation,” Baggo said.
No comments:
Post a Comment