Activists in Baguio City complain of harassment

BAGUIO CITY -- Activists identified with left-leaning organizations based here complained of “witch-hunting” and “trick or treating” meant to scare them.

               

The most recent case was that of 55-year-old Milagros Ao-wat, a volunteer of the health NGO Community Health Education, Services and Training in the Cordillera Region(CHESTCORE), who in September received a bag containing a black shirt, a stained white blouse and some tattered pairs of sandals.

               

It was the Ao-wat's fifth “harassment” incident, said Imelda Tabiando of the Baguio-based Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC Inc.). Ao-war received her first death threat on Dec. 29, 2010, her second on Jan. 26, 2011, her third on June 24, 2011 and her fourth on August 14 2012.

               

Ao-wat, who filed complaints with the Commission on Human Rights-Cordillera against the military for allegedly harassing her and some of her colleagues, has also received text messages, supposedly "condoling" with her after the death of her brother on July 26 this year.                 

She reported the incidents to the police.

               

She lamented that instead of recognizing the efforts of the NGOs and development workers in helping hard to reach communities, they are tagged by the military as enemies of the state.

               

Also, farmer-leader Modesto Hangoy from Tinoc, Ifugao, said AFP’s 86th Infantry Batalion is tagging farmers and residents as NPA rebels or symphatizers. He added that at night time, supposed intelligence agents spy on his home owing to suspicions that he is coddling NPA rebels. -