Army choppers drop anti-NPA leaflets amid Covid, native lock-in; Sagada folks incensed

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Local folks here assailed the Philippine Army for dropping leaflets here denouncing the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and National Democratic Front and red-tagging some local folks as members of the communist movement the past weeks.

“Waay sha san ited presidente ay sag P5,000” (Maybe that is the P5,000 the President (Duterte) shall distribute to the people.”)  

“Reinforcement ngen di Army sa.” (Maybe that’s reinforcement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines).

 “Ay relief goods ngen iyali da?” (Are they bringing relief goods?)

These were some of the reactions of residents here from this tourist town on the dropping of propaganda leaflets folded in plastic with a candy weight from two helicopters  April 12.

Contents of said leaflet assured people of assistance that government provides at this time of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for affected and poor families due Covid-19.

Two helicopters hovered over this town here late morning of Easter Sunday disturbing the residents with repeated whirrs and leaving cellophane-wrapped flyers on yards, rooftops, trees, mountains, rivers and streets.

Whirrs of helicopters bring mixed reactions among residents here in this small town ever since it was visited by choppers in the ‘70s till now.

Choppers coming here in the ‘70s brought joy and an excitement among children who rushed on grounds where helicopters landed. 

In different periods of the previous years though, scared residents of the ‘80s and 90’s are witness to the dropping of bombs along with the hovering of AFP choppers in their anti-insurgency drives that led to the establishment of a peace zone in 1993.

Former president Gloria Arroyo also came here riding a chopper in the early years of 2000.

Arroyo was often a visitor of Sagada which led to the making of the state of the nation (SONA) projects in the north including the rehabilitation of the Dantay-Sagada Road.     

When tourism boomed in the 2010 upwards, rich people from Manila like the Ayalas came here as tourists.
But last Easter Sunday, choppers brought military propaganda.  

The militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) in their statement said the this was a “waste of peoples’ money amid lack of economic assistance during the pandemic.”

In this period of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), government assistance comes in a P200 billion cash and non-cash social amelioration program (SAP) for 18 million Filipinos out of the country’s 104 million population.

Government assistance programs are Covid adjustment measures program (CAMP) for  affected formal employees  and Tulong pangkabuhayan sa ating displaced and disadvantaged (TUPAD) workers administered by the department of labor and employment (DOLE); P5,000 financial aid and P25,000 loan for  farmers in the Department of Agriculture’s  Survival and Recovery Assistance (SURE) program; loans to entrepreneurs by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s Enterprise Rehabilitation Financing facility under the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso;  and P5,000-P8,000 cash assistance and food relief by  the department of social welfare and development (DSWD).

The DSWD  is currently distributing the P5,000 to P8,000 amelioration subsidy to affected and poor families at this ECQ period while others have not yet availed of the amount with others complaining of not being qualified as beneficiary. 

In some parts of the country, the distribution of food relief has also received complaints of some not having reached them while others were given.

Netizens in their Facebook posts also expressed their disgust on the helicopters dropping the leaflets as a waste of public funds. 

Sagada resident Gwen Gaongen said it would have been better if the choppers dropped leaflets on how to avail of funds from the government’s so-called social amelioration program.

Sagada resident Botbotanmel Abad said, “We thought it’s something helpful that they have brought us. Unfortunately, there’s much needed these days. Not that sheet of paper good for toilet paper.)

CPA chairperson Windel Bolinget who also comes from Sagada asked, “among other expenses, how much was spent for the aviation fuel consumed by two helicopters for more than an hour?”

“These should have been useful if used for relief operations urgently needed by the people in this time of lockdown and difficulty” Bolinget added.

Beverly Longid who comes from Sagada and currently works with the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self Determination and Liberation  said, “At this time of the pandemic, funds should prioritize public health, purchase of much-needed PPEs for frontlines, relief and economic aid for those in need.

Others are apprehensive of the leaflets dropped from the choppers.

Sagada resident Carmen Gayyad in her Facebook post said, “what if those flyers and candies were infected with covid-19? It’s dreadful to think that they might be the ones to bring covid-19 in our community.

While others demanded that those responsible be made accountable.

Netizen Felipe Mendoza de Leon said,” the officers and soldiers responsible for this illegal activity should be investigated and prosecuted for the terrible waste of resources and act of terrorizing the peaceful communities of Sagada.”

One said it was a violation of free prior and informed consent (FPIC) with the helicopters having entered the areal territory of Sagada without prior consent and a violation of rights and invasion to personal property having dropped candies on private yards and rooftops.

Said flyers warned the people not to receive relief goods and donations from members of the CPP-NPA.

Earlier, the CPA composed of a number of people’s organizations with other activist groups and individuals distributed relief goods in some communities of Baguio, La Trinidad and Benguet some days ago. 

Sagada resident Steven Edward Rogers said in his Facebook post, “What's being prevented? All this does is antagonize people. Why spend all that money flying helicopters when local police could easily distribute flyers? The timing is really poor. I don't think they are winning any hearts and minds with that. More the opposite. If they want to get people to trust the government they need performance, not propaganda.”

Meantime, Sagada resident Dom-an Macagne said dropping propaganda materials from the sky during Easter Sunday was uncalled for.