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PRESS STATEMENT
September 3, 2011

Lumad group condemns 73rd IB’s harassment of school for Blaan children in Sarangani

Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao (Kalumaran), a Mindanao-wide alliance of indigenous peoples, condemns the militarization and violations perpetrated by the 73rd Infantry Battalion against the Blaan tribe in the mountains of Malapatan, Sarangani Province.

Since November 2010, the 73rd IB has been conducting operations in the Lumad communities of Upper Suyan, Malapatan, Sarangani. The school that was founded by the community with the assistance of the Center for Lumad Advocacy and Services (CLANS) was forced to close down due to the military harassments. Soldiers even forced a child to hold a high-powered rifle and proceeded to take a picture of him as if he were a child soldier of the New People’s Army. Eight Blaan leaders from Upper Suyan were arrested without warrant by the 73rd IB for three days last March 2011. The teachers and staff of CLANS also were threatened and harassed.

All of these violations were documented by the recent Alayon Peace and Solidarity Mission in Defense of Blaan Children’s Rights, conducted by a consortium of non-governmental organizations. During the time of the mission itself, there were still soldiers of the 73rd IB conducting operations and encamping in the community of Dlumay, part of Upper Suyan. The 73rd IB under Lt. Col. Adolfo Espuelas is continuing the notorious human rights record of one of its earlier commanders particularly then colonel and now Brig. General Eduardo del Rosario, present chief of AFP Civil Relations Service.

It can be recalled that in 2001, when the 73rd IB was deployed in the Davao region under Col. Eduardo del Rosario, it became notorious for dividing Lumad communities and creating conflict. It formed the Alamara, a paramilitary group that wrought fear and chaos in the mountainous Lumad communities of Davao City.

The 73rd IB also formed the Supreme Tribal Council for Peace and Development that claims to bring development to Lumad communities. But the development that they promote is large-scale mines, agri-business plantations, and agro-forestry—development that destroys the environment and livelihoods of communities. Purporting to be for the interest of indigenous peoples, this group collaborates with multi-national corporations while the affected community remains unaware or stands opposed to the projects they bring.

The 73rd IB in Sarangani is organizing the “Tribal Force” as part of its Task Force Gantangan program that recruits Lumads for paramilitary groups to guard mining concessions, plantations, and mega-dams. These paramilitary groups harass, threaten, and even kill fellow Lumads that stand in defense of the ancestral domain and oppose commercial exploitation of natural resources.

Kalumaran condemns the 73rd IB for destroying Lumad communities pursuing their own self-development especially with regard to education, defense of the forests and rivers, and defense of the ancestral domain. The communities in Upper Suyan have set up their own school with the support of CLANS, and they have just begun operating a multi-grain mill and a micro-hydro power plant; but the 73rd IB has tried to undermine these community initiatives.

These incidents are directly tied to the goals of the National Internal Security Plan (NISP) called Oplan Bayanihan under the US-Aquino regime. Under this program, development of Lumad communities and awareness of their rights is a threat to “National Economic Development.”

This is the continuation of Oplan Bantay Laya during the Arroyo regime. There is no difference between the two policies that aim at silencing the Lumads who have taken a stand against national oppression and the destruction of the environment.

Oplan Bayanihan provides protection for the Aquino government’s “Public-Private Partnership” program that puts the national wealth in the hands of the mining, energy, logging, and plantation industries.

In the mountains of Malapatan, particularly in Upper Suyan, the mining application of Looc Mining— owned by the relatives of President Aquino through San Miguel Corporation—is part of this public-private partnership program.

Therefore, Kalumaran, an alliance of Lumads all over Mindanao, believes that the operation of the 73rd IB in Upper Suyan, Malapatan is to ensure the entry of large-scale mining in the area, and to hinder the genuine development of the Lumads who continue to care for our natural resources and defend our national wealth against plunder of big capitalists.


For reference:

DULPHING B. OGAN
Secretary General
0912 484 9965

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Expel the military from civilian communities!

Fr. Santiago Salas (Ka Sanny)
Spokesperson
NDF-Eastern Visayas
September 01, 2011

The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today called on the people to fight militarization and fascism by campaigning for the removal of military presence in civilian communities. “Under Oplan Bayanihan, troops of the 8th Infantry Division routinely worm themselves into both urban and rural communities on the pretext of working for ‘peace and development,’” said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. “In truth, these troops are committing acts of war by engaging in combat and psychological warfare operations against the New People’s Army. They put civilians at risk and have in fact committed atrocities. The occupation of civilian communities by the 8th ID grossly violates international humanitarian law as well as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.”
 

Fr. Salas pointed out several instances in the past months when the military had occupied civilian communities in the course of their operations. "In Samar, the 8th ID’s fascist troops openly base in the midst of civilian communities. While pretending to be only on temporary or tactical basing, the soldiers are in fact a permanent presence because of their frequent and numerous operations. For example, in Northern Samar, soldiers of the 87th IB focus repeated operations on the villages of Bangon, Bagacay, and Capacujan in Palapag, in Brgy. Potong in Lapinig, and the villages of Silhagon, Hubasan, Naparasan and Burgos in Mapanas. The fascist troops also subvert civilian authority by signing memorandums of agreement with the respective municipalities. Meanwhile, in Eastern Samar, a company of the 14th IB pursues the same tack by maintaining a roving presence in Brgy. San Roque, Jipapad, and the villages of Buko, Pandol and Balagon in Can-avid.
 

“In June this year in Leyte, the 19th IB troops stirred outraged by openly basing themselves in several villages in Tunga town. The fascist troops raised the people’s ire even more when a soldier raped a woman in Brgy. San Vicente.”
 

The NDF-EV spokesperson said the soldiers’ violations of the rights of civilians unmask the grim reality behind the “peace and development” psywar of 8th ID chief Gen. Mario Chan. “These soldiers forcibly control the civilians by conducting ‘censuses’ and demanding ‘surrenders.’ They constantly harass the civilians about the presence of the NPA. They also force the civilians to build their camps and supply wood. The soldiers are also notorious for drinking, gambling and using their weapons to intimidate civilians.”
 

Fr. Salas said civilians should fight to reclaim their communities and end the 8th ID’s impunity for the CARHRIHL and international humanitarian law. “All communities occupied by the 8th ID should struggle against the unwanted presence of the fascist troops. They should protest to the municipal governments why military authority is subverting civilian authority. The communities of various towns can unite and raise their complaints to the provincial governments through petitions as well as mass actions. They can troop to radio stations and other mass media to expose and oppose the 8th ID’s wanton violations of the CARHIRHL and international humanitarian law. The peasants can also unite with human rights advocates and other sectors to press for the expulsion of military troops from urban and rural communities. Through the militant struggle of the people against militarization and fascism, the anti-people Oplan Bayanihan will surely fail.”#