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Press Statement
March 29, 2012

Reference: Cristina Palabay, Spokesperson, 09175003879
Angge Santos, Media Liaison, 0918-9790580

Pullout military and paramilitary troops in peasant and indigenous communities — Karapatan

In a picket at the gates of Camp Aguinaldo today, Karapatan raised the alarm over the series of forced evacuation of hundreds peasants and indigenous peoples in Mindanao due to intense military operations in their ancestral lands.
 

“In a span of one week, three incidents of forced evacuation and other rights violations in Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, in Compostela Valley and in Bukidnon were reported by Karapatan chapters and people’s organizations. These are mineral-rich areas targeted for large-scale mining or with existing mining operations. These are areas where there is strong people’s opposition against mining operations by destructive companies,” said Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Karapatan spokesperson and convenor of End Impunity Alliance.
 

Palabay commented that such military operations aggressively being carried out by troops and para-military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were prodded and legitimized by Pres. Benigno Aquino III when he approved in October 2011 the creation and deployment of militias known as Special CAFGU Active Auxiliary Units (SCAA)
 

“Aquino does not only encourage the few big businesses in exploiting to the hilt the country’s mineral resources. He also gives the signal fire for the bombings, indiscriminate firing, killings, threats to life and livelihood and other rights violations in these peasant and indigenous communities. Such is P-Noy’s brand of ‘development’ via his counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan,” said Palabay.
Karapatan documented the following incidents which occurred between February to March 2012
 

1. The evacuation of Lumad-Mamanwa due to indiscriminate bombing, strafing and airstrikes in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte and in Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte by the 402nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division. On February 28, some 58 families from Alegria, Surigao del Norte evacuated to Bgy. Ombon. On March 14, 2012, some 78 Mamanwa families with about 345 individuals left their homes in Kitcharao and in Cabadbaran City and evacuated in Butuan City.
The mountains between Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur have large gold deposits. Among those with mining interests in these areas are: Minimax Gold Exploration, SR Mining Inc., and the Lopez owned First Gen Hydro Electric Corp. which is currently conducting a survey in Agusan del Norte.
 

2. The evacuation of the clan and other community members of slain lumad leader, Jimmy Liguyon, after receiving death threats from Aldy Salusad of the New Indigenous People’s Army Reform (NIPAR). Salusad and NIPAR owned the killing of Liguyon on March 5. NIPAR, which is under the 8th IB-PA, has threatened community members for “seeking justice for Jimmy’s death.” The evacuees are now in the provincial capitol of Bukidnon.
 

Salusad is identified with the San Fernando Matigsalug Tribal Datus (Sanmatrida), which has pending applications for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title and mining operations in Dao. Liguyon was Dao’s barangay captain. He actively campaigned against the entry of mining companies in their community, as well as against their operations in the region.

3. The evacuation of some 304 individuals from Bgy. Tibagon, Pantukan, Compostela Valley since March 18, due to the hamletting of their communities by the 71st IB. Other rights violations committed in the area that led to the evacuation were the occupation of civilian houses, interrogation of residents to force them to admit that they are members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and other forms of threats and harassment.

Several large-scale mining corporations operate in Pantukan such as the Russell Mines and Minerals-St. Augustine Gold Copper in Brgy. Kingking, Pantukan and the Napnapan Mineral Resources, among others.

Karapatan called for the immediate pull out of the military and para-military units in the civilian communities to enable residents to return to their homes.###

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Filipino Rights Workers File Complaints on Violent Demolitions and Arbitrary Detention before the UN, Ask Support of Int’l Community

Submitted on Mon, 03/19/2012 - 16:42 International Karapatan Press release
 

[Geneva, Switzerland March 14, 2012] The Philippine UPR Watch, an ecumenical delegation of Philippine human rights organizations and advocates that engages in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), capped the delegation’s activities in Geneva, Switzerland by filing complaints before the offices of UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Raquel Rolnik and Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Chair Malick Sow on the continuous rights violations under Philippine Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

In behalf of Demolition Watch Network, a group of urban poor leaders and advocates for rights to decent housing and livelihood, the group lamented the “intensified violent evictions of residents in urban poor communities in the Philippines and the continuing violations on the right to adequate housing and other human rights.”

“Under the new administration of President Aquino, Demolition Watch Network documented more than 50 incidents of violent eviction of homes in Metro Manila alone, from 19 communities and affecting more than 16,000 families. Thousands of families were left homeless and jobless, millions worth of livelihood and properties were destroyed and many children stopped schooling and were traumatized,” said Nardy Sabino, secretary general of the Promotion for Church People’s Response and convener of Phil. UPR Watch.

Sabino further cited the recent cases of violent evictions in Brgy. Corazon de Jesus, San Juan City and communities along the Phil. National Railway Site, where hundreds of police personnel and demolition teams were deployed to violently disperse and illegally arrest residents and supporters asserting their right to tenure in the areas where they live.

“These evictions are being conducted to pave the way for so-called development projects, but these only resulted to increase the number of poor Filipinos who are forced to live on the streets and become homeless. They live in makeshift tents, as small as animal cages, with no water and electricity. They endured cold nights, typhoons; heavy rains and floods in their tents. They have nowhere to go. Worst of all, every now and then, the government forces have no mercy and forcibly evict them from their tents instead of giving them decent housing and help them in restoring their lives,” he added.

Sr. Stella Matutina OSB of Panalipdan Mindanao meanwhile said along with violent demolitions and violation on the rights to decent and adequate housing, there are continuous occurrences of arbitrary arrests and detention of individuals and activists.

The group filed complaints on the cases of artist Ericson Acosta and film student Maricon Montajes before the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, among the 347 political prisoners (as of December 31, 2011) who were arrested and are currently detained under Aquino’s watch.

“Despite its denial of the existence of political prisoners in the country, the Aquino administration can never hide the fact that political prisoners continue to be violated for each day they remain inside jail under his administration. Criminalization of alleged political offenses, a widespread practice to hide the political nature of the illegal arrests and trumped-up cases filed against these individuals and activists, remains a salient feature of Aquino’s counter-insurgency policy Oplan Bayanihan,” Matutina said.

The mission likewise conducted several activities to call for the support of the international community to press the Aquino government to step up its efforts for the immediate arrest of Ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr.

“It has been three months since the warrant of arrest was issued against Palparan and as he remains scot-free, he continues to insult the victims by remaining at-large. Palparan, by evading arrest, also mocks and makes a fool of the P-Noy government,” said Cristina Palabay, spokesperson of Karapatan. The delegation also distributed and showed Wanted: Palparan posters during their activities in the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Sabino, Matutina and Palabay were joined in the Philippine UPR Watch delegation by Atty. Edre Olalia of the NUPL and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL); and, Maribel Mapanao of the Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines (CHRP)– Switzerland.

The group met and briefed various foreign diplomatic missions and international NGOs based in Geneva as well as representatives of UN human rights special procedures and the Filipino migrant community on the state of human rights in the Philippines. The Philippines will be subjected to the second cycle of the UPR this May 28 to June 3, 2012.

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Press Release
March 26, 2012

Denounce the Military Harassment! Uphold the rights of the poor to have a life of dignity!

We strongly condemn the recent military harassment that took place on the morning of March 26, 2012 at the TFUC Kanlungan Center located at the TFUC Office in New Manila, Quezon City where more than 60 displaced families have taken shelter after being violently demolished in Barangay Corazon de Jesus last January 13, 2012.

Eight soldiers arrived at Kanlungan Center boarding an Isuzu Wagon type vehicle with plate number UUS-950. When asked by the residents of the Shelter they claimed that they did not need to bring any endorsement letter or be subject to any protocol when they visit any office since they are employed to mediate for the local government in situations of conflict on the barangay level and to wherever they are being assigned. According to them, they used to be stationed in the “mountains” and are licensed to kill however, in the cities they act as mere mediators.

They asked for Fr. Charly Ricafort, being the Chairperson of TFUC-Mission Partner of AMRSP and tried to talk with the victims of the demolition in Corazon de Jesus who have taken shelter at the Kanlungan. They repeatedly asked the families to accept the offer of relocation by the Mayor of San Juan- Ms. Guia Gomez and that she would give time and consideration in case the families would decide to accept the relocation program.

The people at the office of the Mayor in San Juan have denied having any knowledge about sending military personnel to the Kanlungan center to harass the victims or the need to issue any explanation or official statement about the incident from the local Mayor in San Juan.

The supposed harassment by the military took place after the solidarity visit to the victims of demolition sheltered in the Kanlungan Center was made by the participants (priests and nuns) of the World Council of Churches- CWME Pre-Assembly meeting in Manila.

The local government intends to hide from the eyes of the world the deplorable situation of the poor in the country and the violation of the human rights of the informal settlers in San Juan. Even if Mayor Guia Gomez “washes her hands” on their involvement in the incident, still this is a clear manipulation of authority and abuse of power and use of harassment to suppress the urban poor in their quest for justice!

Until the present time, the poor families who are victims of the violent demolition in Corazon de Jesus continue to fight to defend their human rights.

In behalf of more than 100 urban poor families who are victims of violence, we are calling for solidarity and participation in upholding human rights and most importantly, to join the poor in their fight for jobs/employment , provision of social services, decent homes and advocate towards the revocation/repeal of unjust , anti-people and anti-poor policies of the Aquino Government.###
 

Soldiers harass displaced urban poor from San Juan
PUBLISHED ON MARCH 29, 2012
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/03/29/soldiers-harass-displaced-urban-poor-from-san-juan/

MANILA — The Task Force on Urban Conscientization (TFUC) of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines condemned the recent military harassment on urban poor families residing in its shelter.

Last March 26, 2012, eight soldiers went to the Kanlungan Center, the TFUC shelter, looking for the organization’s chairperson Fr. Charly Ricafort, MI. The soldiers were riding an Isuzu wagon-type vehicle with plate number UUS-950. Only two of the eight went inside the shelter.

The TFUC Kanlungan Center has served as a shelter for the families whose homes were demolished in Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City on January 12, 2012 to give way to the local government’s plan to build a government city. The families refused to accept the relocation offers in Rodriguez, Rizal because it would bring them away from their work and livelihood. Also access to education and health services is difficult in the relocation site.

Residents demanded for an endorsement letter but the soldiers insisted that they are not required to bring in letters or even follow such protocols because they are employed to mediate in places where it deems necessary. One of the soldiers even said that they may be trained to fight and kill but in the city, they are here to mediate.

According to Fr. Rex Reyes, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, the mere fact that they barged in at the TFUC office without consent or a formal request letter “constitutes harassment. We have yet to identify the men.”

Reyes said the vilification of church workers and other rights advocates is not consistent with the promises President Benigno Aquino III said during the presidential campaign, even if it is merely a political rhetoric. “He said there would be no poor people, if there would be no corruption. But when people expose the truth, we are being harassed.”


Vehicle used by soldiers during their ‘visit’ at the TFUC shelter (Photo courtesy of TFUC / bulatlat.com)
The visit from the soldiers happened a day after church leaders participating in the pre-assembly of the World Council of Churches paid the displaced families a visit and expressed their solidarity to the urban poor struggle.

Confrontation at the TFUC office

Maritess Bacolod, one of the residents staying at the shelter and secretary general of Samana-Corazon de Jesus, an urban poor local organization, confronted the two soldiers who approached the gate at around 11:00 a.m. She described one soldier as wearing Type A military uniform and the other was wearing a Type B.

“Ate Tess, you are here!” one of the soldiers told Bacolod. The two soldiers did not give their name and did not state how they knew who Tess was. They then asked if Fr. Ricafort is around and if he is in his house.

“The National Housing Authority wants to talk with him. We will arrange a dialogue with the village official and the NHA. The relocation site is beautiful. We were told to inform you that we will set a deadline. Besides, you will only pay P200 per month for your house in the relocation site. Why do you not want it?” Tess said in a statement, citing one of the soldiers.

One of the soldiers also asked Bacolod if the residents wish to speak with Mayor Guia Gomez since it is their job to mediate in the situation.

A resident managed to take a video of the confrontation, where Bacolod told the soldier wearing a black shirt that, “I am telling you to go back to whoever sent you here to look for Fr. Ricafort or to even arrange a meeting with the NHA and tell him to write us a formal letter,” adding that, “It is better because we will have a proper venue where we can sit down and talk.”

 

“But you are already displaced from there,” the man wearing black shirt said, referring to the Corazon de Jesus community.

“Of course we are no longer living there because the Estradas ordered us out. We do not want to leave. We no longer go there. And yet you still come here to pay us a visit. We have already filed a case on this,” Bacolod said.

Bacolod also demanded to know where the soldiers got their information, especially Fr. Ricafort’s name. The soldiers said they got it from a letter that was given to them but refused to give more details on who gave it to them.

“Why don’t you just go back to Fr. Frank Ungria. He knows where to locate Fr. Ricafort. Even Guia Gomez knows where Fr. Ricafort is. Talk to them instead because this is not his house,” said Bacolod. Fr. Frank Ungria is the parish priest of San Juan.


One of the reported soldiers looking for Fr. Ricafort (Photo courtesy of TFUC / bulatlat.com)
In a statement, Bacolod said the soldiers who were looking for Fr. Ricafort were not wearing their name tags. They also did not show to the residents their mission order. Others who did not go out of the vehicle were armed and wearing camouflage uniforms.

Soldiers in the community

After the military left, residents immediately phoned the San Juan local government office, inquiring why they sent soldiers to visit the TFUC office. “They denied it.They said that they are coordinating only with the Philippine National Police, not the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

Residents, however, refuse to believe it. In a statement, the TFUC said that even if the local government has already washed its hands on their involvement in the incident, it is “still a clear manipulation of authority and abuse of power and use of harassment to suppress the urban poor in their quest for justice.”

The community of Corazon de Jesus has its own share of the military’s Civic Military Operations. In January 2011, Arnold Repique, president of Samana, the local urban poor organization of Corazon de Jesus residents, said members of the military would gather the people and make them watch videos that vilify mass organizations who are helping residents in their fight. One such video is the infamous “Know your enemy.”

There were also several instances where Repique could not go home because of the death threats that they are receiving.

After the January 12, 2012 demolition, Susana Ybona, a resident, related to Bulatlat.com that there were also soldiers deployed in their area. “They were stationed near the school. The soldiers were looking at the people who were passing by,” she said, “I think they are trying to scare away those who remain in the area. But if your are well aware of your rights and principles, one would not be scared even if they send a battalion of soldiers.”

Families residing in the TFUC shelter said they recognized two of the eight soldiers who went to their shelter. They said they were seen roving the area for a few days now.

“It is a bad signal, a dangerous signal,” Reyes of the NCCP said, who also expressed hopes that Fr. Ricafort is safe.

The TFUC called on the Filipino people to express their solidarity in upholding human rights and, most important, “to join the poor in their fight for jobs and employment, provision of social services, and decent homes and to advocate for the revocation and repeal of unjust, anti-people and anti-poor policies of the Aquino government.”