Army hit for militarization, abuses in Cagayan town

By Jhames Paredes

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Human rights alliance Karapatan Cagayan Valley called for an immediate pull-out of the 17th Infantry Battalion in a far-flung community of indigenous farmers in Sitio Lagum, Barangay Lipatan, Sto. Nino, Cagayan.

According to the group, they received reports from locals of continuous military presence in the area that has resulted in numerous human rights violations since the first week of February.

Jackie Valencia, secretary-general of Karapatan-CV, described the current situation of Lagum residents as akin to the hamletting that was pervasive during Marcos' martial law.

"Soldiers belonging to the 17th IBPA and local policemen assembled residents of Sitio Lagum at the small chapel and accused all of them as ‘supporters of NPA.’ They handpicked and interrogated some residents, pointed them as members of ‘milisyang bayan’ (people's militia), and forced them to surrender their guns," reported Valencia.

"Soldiers have encamped in some of the resident's houses, the chapel, and the elementary school. They even set up an illegal checkpoint at the only way in and out of the community, accosting residents who are on their way to the market, or to their farms. These have gravely affected their indigenous practice of ‘ammoyo’ or collective farming since they are afraid of leaving their homes and tending to land preparations during planting season," added Valencia.

She said the military abuses in Sitio Lagum are due to the "re-tooled Community Support Program Operations primarily executed by the AFP and PNP in communities to deceive and harass civilians.

According to her, the military peddles the corrupt E-CLIP program (Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program), “which forced residents to surrender the rebel's arms in exchange for reward money. But in reality, the guns are just planted, and the reward money goes directly to military's pockets."

The re-tooled CSPO is part of Duterte's anti-insurgency drive under the Oplan Kapanatagan. Human rights group noted the strategy militarized the delivery of basic goods and services, a government mandate supposedly performed by concerned civilian agencies like the DSWD and DepEd. According to them, the re-tooled CSPO weaponize government programs addressing poverty alleviation, livelihood assistance, and healthcare to monitor and suppress people's organizations.

"Residents of Sitio Lagum are mostly poor farmers who have united and formed their own organization to uphold their democratic right to land and livelihood. They do not need the presence of the military and the police in their homes. It is, therefore, just to end the militarization in Sitio Lagum and other parts of the province. The government must stop vilifying civilians, and instead resolve the roots of armed conflict in the country," ended the statement.

Sitio Lagum is home to more than 200 residents whose primary livelihood is farming. The majority of the residents are indigenous settlers from Apayao and Kalinga of the Cordillera region, according to Punganay, an alliance of indigenous peoples organizations in Region 2.# nordis.net