BEHIND THE SCENES

‘Military harassments’ in Baguio, Benguet and Kalinga
Alfred P. Dizon

(I would like to print these two letters from non-government organizations complaining of harassment from the Armed forces of the Philippines. The first is a pooled statement on the “recent threat posed by the AFP against militant youth organizations in schools in Baguio.” The statement was made by Anakbayan - Metro-Baguio; Kabataan Partylist-Cordillera and the Baguio-Benguet chapters of the College Editors Guild and National Union of Students. The second letter was sent by the Community Health Education Services and Training in the Cordillera Region (Chestcore) staff who visited Kalinga.)
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On June 19, a, military personnel appeared in TV Patrol Northern Luzon in a report by Dobbie de Guzman and ludicrously lambasted legal student and youth organizations in Metro-Baguio—tagging them as front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.

The military claimed these organizations implement a “program” towards becoming a communist guerilla—initially, by “recruitment” to one of the so-called legal fronts; followed by a “promotion” to the National Democratic Front and the wrap-up rite being the “enlistment” to the CPP-NPA.

Where the military got its “evidence” that militant youth organizations put into operation the aforementioned “program” remains unknown to the general public. The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ high-ranking officials, alongside Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, after all, has a long history of pronouncing pitiable, abominable excuses to justify the spectacular military adventurism sweeping the country.

Thus, the malicious aligning of militant student and youth organizations to the CPP-NPA—though preposterous and dangerous at best—did not come as a shock at all in an epoch where almost 900 militants, church workers, union leaders and members, student activists and journalists were killed and where more than 200 remain missing.

Hurling such accusations to those critical to the government is akin to beating the war drums against the Filipino youth. Baguio student and youth activists are now vulnerable to attacks—be it surveillance, abduction, interrogation, torture, detainment or murder. Filipino students and youth are not spared from the unparalleled assaults on civil liberties and human rights under this despotic regime.

A critical look into the cases of slain Bicol University student leader and League of Filipino Students (LFS)-Regional Coordinator Cris Hugo; slain Aquinas University student and LFS Legaspi City-Spokesperson Rei Mon Guran; slain Camarines Norte State College cum laude candidate and LFS-Camarines Norte spokesperson Farly Alcantara; slain Ateneo de Davao student journalist, College Editors Guild of the Philippines-Vice President for Mindanao and Karapatan Southern Mindanao-Deputy Secretary General Benjaline Hernandez and the disappearance of University of the Philippines-Diliman students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, members of LFS and Anakbayan respectively, who were doing research on the plight of farmers in Hagonoy, Bulacan at the time of their abduction, implies the direct involvement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines—whose sworn duty—ironically, is to serve and protect the Filipino youth, students and the people.

The most recent acts of brutality perpetrated by the AFP is the abduction, torture and murder of two Kabataan Partylist Camarines Norte campaigners and the abduction, torture and detainment of a Kabataan partylist regional coordinator in Leyte.

Ronilo Brezuela and Roberto “Jun Jun” Bagasbas, Jr., only 16 and 27 years old respectively at the time of their deaths, were abducted after they brought food to their fellow poll watchers. Conversely, the Alpha Company of the 31st Infantry Battalion based in Tigbinan, Labo, Camarines Norte claimed that the two are NPA guerillas killed in an encounter.

Ronaldo Cabato Jr., Kabataan Partylist-Leyte Regional Coordinator was abducted in Ormoc City, Leyte on the evening of May 7, 2007. Cabato was tortured and detained for almost a month.
Having established these premises, we, leaders and members of militant youth organizations in the Cordilleras, hold the military accountable at the event something dismal happens to officers or members of youth organizations in Baguio and Benguet.

The victims of gross human rights violations are not merely numbers or statistics. They are ordinary people with mothers, fathers, brothers, siblings and friends—all left to grieve after their untimely demise.

They were ordinary students who proved that there are a lot of things to learn and answer to beyond the confines of the classroom. They were ordinary youngsters who were definitely wise beyond their years—deemed extraordinary because they have chosen to heed to the wails of the oppressed, toiling masses.

The goons of the government are clearly bent on distorting the fine line that separates legal democratic organizations from armed revolutionary organizations. They will stop at nothing and are geared to use any means necessary to subdue all of its critics.

We call upon all freedom-loving citizens to condemn the shroud of fear the AFP is subjecting us, the Filipino youth & students, in. We condemn in the strongest terms the renewed attacks on civil liberties and human rights that will certainly escalate upon the absolute implementation of the Human Security Act.
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And now the Chestcore letter: Elements of the 21st and 77th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army of the Armed Forces of the Philippines interrogated and harassed the field staff of Baguio-based NGO Community Health Education Services and Training in the Cordillera Region (Chestcore) last 16 and 17 June in Sitio Ubel, Barangay Gawaan, Balbalan, Kalinga.

Four members of the health staff (including a medical doctor and nurse) were monitoring community health workers based in the various barangays of Balbalan. At the same time, they were attending to patients brought to them by the local residents.

The military elements, headed by a certain Corporal Raton, surrounded the health personnel’s quarters then proceeded to question the health staff. They insisted on getting the health personnel’s names and repeatedly questioned them on their reasons for being in the area. Pictures of the group were also taken by the military. This, despite being shown a copy of Chestcore’s official letters to Balbalan Mayor Jesse Allan Mangaoang and the municipal health office.

Soldiers named Galera, Enriquez and 21st Company Charlie Division Commanding Officer Manaois were identified as among those who questioned Chestcore’s personnel. None of them introduced themselves. Some hid their nametags or wore none at all. The soldiers were there as part of the AFP’s anti-insurgency campaign.

The soldiers later called a community meeting in Sitio Pipi, Gawaan where they alleged that the New People’s Army conducted a meeting in Sitio Ubel and that four of the NPAs were still in Sitio Ubel.

This case exemplifies the labeling done under the AFP’s Operation Plan Bantay Laya where members and leaders of legal progressive people’s organizations or institutions rendering service to the people are equated to members of revolutionary organizations and thus treated as enemies of the state.

This is not the first time the delivery of health services by Chestcore’s staff has been jeopardized by the military based in Kalinga. In April 2005, soldiers surrounded the Gawaan Barangay Hall as community health workers were undergoing their basic health skills training seminar. In August 2006 Mayor Mangaoang advised the Chestcore’s executive director to seek the 21st IB’s permission before conducting a research on the health of Balbalan’s small-scale miners.

Chestcore had been training community health workers and rendering medical services in far-flung barrios of the Cordillera and Ilocos Regions since 1981. The harassment and interrogation of health personnel by elements of the military is an unwanted hindrance to the delivery of health services. Such actions must be condemned and immediately stopped.