Vilification a license to violate peoples rights — CHRA

3 MIN READ

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — “Political vilification aims to remove the protection of law over the victim.”

This was the statement of Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) Secretary General Jude Baggo during the Amnesty International Philippines second rounds of 2013 reports at the Bloomfield Hotel, here, June 14.

NPA strongholds

Baggo cited as an example of political vilification the Philippine Army’s labeling of certain barangays or communities as strongholds of the New Peoples Army (NPA) to justify military atrocities pointing to the May 31 army air strike in Malibcong, Abra.

It can be recalled that 503rd Brigade Commander General Hernando DCA Iriberri denied that an airstrike was launched in Abra on May 31 after an earlier radio pronouncements that bombs were dropped in the said area but were 500 meters away from the residential area.

“I do not know what do you call the dropping of bombs from mid air by the military if not airstrike. They can call it whatever they want to but clearly based of the fact finding mission conducted last week by local chapter of CHRA in Abra together with members of Innabuyog Gabriela bombs were dropped 40 to 200 meters away from the residential areas nearly hurting two minors,” Baggo reiterated.

Baggo further criticized the pronouncements of Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita ‘Ding’ Deles that the minors were child soldiers. He stressed that the minors are non-combatants and are high school students enrolled at the Mataragan National High School. He added that as a result of the traumatic experience one of the minors no longer want to continue schooling.

“Instead of providing psycho-social treatment or stress debriefing they are vilifying the victims. This is unacceptable,” he stressed.

Aside from the said Abra communities, Baggo mentioned that some communities in Asipulo and Tinoc in Ifugao are also labeled as NPA strongholds. “I have been to these communities. They do not have electricity and no road networks. Residents claim that because they are labeled as strongholds they could hardly avail of government development projects,” he disclosed.

In Tinoc where the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) is currently conducting a free prior and informed consent (FPIC) process for a geothermal project, Baggo disclosed that local government officials threaten residents that no development projects would be given to communities that will not give consent to the project.

He added that there are even some beneficiaries of the government’s conditional cash transfer who were removed from the list because they are from communities labeled as NPA strongholds.

“Just because these communities are labeled NPA strongholds state security forces have the right to bomb them? Being labeled as strongholds is it right for government agencies and local government units to neglect these communities?” Baggo questioned.

NPA fronts

Another form of vilification is the labeling of legitimate peoples organizations as NPA fronts.

Baggo mentioned the earlier claims of Ifugao Police Provincial Office Director Angelito Casimiro directly linking the Ifugao Research and Development Center (IRDC) to the Nona Del Rosario Command (NDRC), the NPA command operating in Ifugao. “Statements like this aims to justify the surveillance, threat and harassment against members of the IRDC and the residents of communities they serve,” he stressed.

It can be recalled that IRDC OIC William Bugatti was listed in a target list of the 86th Infantry Batallion (IB) of the Philippine Army operating in Ifugao that the CHRA got a copy of. In the said list are farmer members of the Ifugao Peasant Movement, development workers and human rights defenders including Baggo accused as NPA supporters.

“I am a victim of vilification myself. I was listed as number 22 in the target list of the 86th IB. I was labeled as ‘utak ng NPA’. Others were labeled as ‘imbakan ng baril’, ‘nagpapakain ng NPA’, ‘tagadeliver ng NPA’ and many other labels,” he disclosed.

“I am even higher than Jose Maria Sison, imagine he is just the founder of the NPA while I am labeled as the brains of the NPA. But kidding aside, this is not funny at all. This is alarming,” Baggo declared.

It can be recalled that most if not all victims of extra judicial killings, enforced disappearances, illegal arrest and detention and other rights violations were vilified as supporters or members of the NPA. Earlier statements of the CHRA pointed out that vilification is the just the beginning of more human rights violations to befall the victims. # nordis.net