By Gina Dizon
BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Military and police officers were urged to
respect human rights and cultural practices of residents of militarized areas
of Dandanak, Besao and Aguid, Sagada as more abuses surfaced during a forum
with government and affected folks here recently.
Affected folks told members of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and Philippine National Police during a dialogue Aug. 16 in this
capital town they were affected by abuses of lawmen.
The forum was initiated by the Commission on Human Rights
so indigenous peoples could come up with resolutions or petitions so proposed
laws like ordinances could be crafted and forwarded to those concerned, said
legal officer Lyndon Morales of the CHR.
Former Tamboan barangay chairman and current barangay
kagawad Osias Degyawi from sitio Dandanac of Tamboan, Besao told the AFP representatives
there two ordinances forwarded by the barangay council banning presence of both
armed groups from their area referring to the Philippine Army and New People’s
Army (NPA).but these are being violated, he said.
Degyawi seconded by current Tamboan barangay chairman
Emerson Mangallay said it was best that AFP leave Dandanac as
Degyawi recalled the harsh memories of the 1980s and 1990s when Dandanac was
heavily militarized.
“Let us give to the people their mandate to resolve their
issues, to identify their problem and where to seek help, what offices to go to
including CHR,” Besao Mayor Johnson Bantog said on issues
surrounding the military presence in Dandanak.
Dandanac is adjacent to Tubo, Abra and a common pathway
of residents from Tamboan and Tubo including elements of the NPA and AFP who go
in and out of the two adjacent areas.
In response, Brigadier General Henry Robinson of the 502
Brigade of the AFP said the AFP is the legitimate security force of the State
and can enter any part of the Philippines in pursuance of their duty.
At this juncture, Saclit, Sadanga barangay chairman
Christopher Pallar said Besao may learn from the experience of Saclit where the
people of Saclit told both AFP and the NPA to move out from their place.
Sagada mayor James Pooten also said that people of Sagada
declared their municipality as a peace zone and does not allow the presence of
armed groups- both the AFP and the NPA- in the community.
During the course of the dialogue, Mering Dazon of the
Cordillera Peoples Alliance forwarded alleged violation
of human rights on two resident -farmer
of Dandanac- Edmund Dazon and Satur Dazon who were
accused of illegal possession of firearms and multiple murder by elements of
the 81st Infantry Battalion stationed at Dandanac.
Morales said alleged abuses will be forwarded to CHR
after complaints have been reported to concerned barangay and local police;
including the filing of the necessary charges by the aggrieved and CHR against
human rights violators.
Other complaints emerged wherein elements from the
81st IB reportedly encamped in houses of residents in Dandanak without h
latter’s consent. It was cited during
the forum that Executive Order 27 was issued by Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan that
“soldiers are not allowed to establish camps or temporary dwellings near
residential areas, specially plazas, barangay halls, churches, schools and
areas where people usually mingle together.”
The above EO was pursuance to Republic Act 7610 which
provides that “public infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and rural
health units shall not be utilized for military purposes such as command posts,
barracks, detachments, and supply depots.”
Forum members said house owners’ consent was primary
before any occupation is done and for humanitarian in situations, soldiers
needing shelter to rest in times of disasters such as typhoons may be allowed.
Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is a right of
indigenous peoples as provided in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act in project
or activity introduced in their communities.
In the same development, Samuel Anongos of the Cordillera
Human Rights Alliance said cultural practices be respected including “tengaw”
or rest day wherein a ritual is made and people are not allowed to enter to
leave the community for some days in observance of good harvest or cleansing of
a community.
Coverage of “tengaw” prohibition includes the AFP.
In response, Gen. Robinson said the AFP shall enter the
community where there are sighting of NPA elements though there is an
ongoing ritual in furtherance to their duties.
Robinson said local police shall also do
regular anti -insurgency operations.
The 81st IB is currently deployed in Dandanac with
military men alternately going in and out from the area to the mountains of
Dandanac and adjacent Tubo of Abra.
Dazon said indigenous peoples rights to their ancestral
domain including farming should be respected by the military.
Dandanac were folks were scared to harvest their matured
rice crops during the harvest month of July after the NPA-AFP encounter on
July. R
Rice harvest resulted to only half taken with the rest
gone to birds, dried up or dropped down to the ground and sprouted.
It was on the second week of August when farmers were
able to harvest their rice crops after a safe conduct pass was issued to
residents for them to tend to their farms August 6.
In Aguid , Sagada, Veron Malicdan from Aguid and a CPA
staff presented two cases of alleged human rights
violations where two resident-farmers of Aguid - David Suyon and
Ruel Wailan- were made to sign papers given to them against their
will.
In their affidavit, they denied they were members
of the NPA as contained in the oath of surrender which they
were forced to utter, but did not, at the barangay gym last August 4.
This was in time with a dental mission and
peace rally sponsored by the 54rth IB stationed in Aguid which also coincided
with the marriage celebration of a couple held near the gym at
Aguid.
Resident Lilian Briones of Fidelisan Sagada also said that
army elements of the 54th IB went to Fidelisan telling three women that they go
to Aguid Elementary School to clear their names as NPA supporters.
She said however that she did not go.
PNP provincial director Allen Ocden said he shall file
the necessary charges against erring cops and members of PNP and AFP involved
in alleged incidents of HR violations if these were true.
The PNP and the AFP representatives said
they have their respective HR offices and functions as
presented by PCI Crispen Banez, chief of the HRAO of
PRO-Cordillera and Brig Gen Boyet Imbang Jr of the 503rd Brigade of the
AFP.
The CHR during said dialogue urged the creation of HR
action teams per municipality.
Ocden said municipal mayors are the chief executive
officers who shall maintain peace and order in their respective communities
where the municipal chief of police derives his authority.
He said barangay officials have duties to
effect peace and order before issues are brought to the municipal
level.
The PNP director said there are already peace and
order groups and committees including Sangguniang Bayan peace and order
committee, Barangay peace and order action teams and the municipal peace and
order councils can serve as HR action teams.
Bontoc Womens Brigade leader Winnie Ananayo said peace
efforts should be exhausted between the two warring groups.
In the same occasion Roda Dalang of the Cordillera
Development Program forwarded a statement of the CDP calling for the pullout of
all AFP troops in the Cordillera.
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