HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Regime’s Torture, Other Rights Violations Decried

Leaders, workers, peasants and youths in Davao City, Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte slam what they call as the Arroyo administration’s worsening human rights record.

BY TYRONE VELEZ AND GRACE S. UDDIN
Bulatlat

TAGUM CITY – “The state of human rights has never been this scary.”

Thus said Ustadz Anwar Casinto during a march rally held in commemoration of International Human Rights Day last Dec. 10 in this city. Casinto, an Islamic teacher in Madaum village, was among the sectoral leaders who came from Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley who deplored the worsening case of human rights violations in both provinces.

Before a crowd of about 500, leaders from labor, the Lumad and Moro sectors took turns presenting cases of military atrocities in the provinces.

Casinto recounted the ordeal of two Moros abducted last month by the military. Abdul Rahman Camili, Casinto’s townmate in Madaum, was kidnapped while on his way with his wife to a mosque in Panabo City on eid'l fetir last Nov. 13. Camili was detained by the military for nearly 15 hours and forced him to own up to the Davao City bombings in 2003. Casinto said soldiers tortured Camili, breaking six two-by-two clubs on Camili's legs.

Rio Dimson Manamba, another Moro from Canatan village in Davao del Norte, was also kidnapped. During his detention, his captors tortured him into confessing. The captors dunked Manamba's head several times into a bucket of water. They took off his shirt and used it to strangle him.

Casinto claims that the torture of both men was so intense that one of them shouted in Visayan: "I will own up everything, even the killing of (national hero Jose) Rizal!"

Camile and Dimson were later presented in Camp Aguinaldo as the prime suspects in the bombings of the Davao International Airport and Sasa Wharf in March and April 2003. Executive Secretary and Anti-Terrorism Task Force chief Eduardo Ermita and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Ebdane led the presentation of the two Moros.

Military intervention

Meanwhile, a union leader from a banana plantation in the municipality of Compostela, Compostela Valley Province, exposed during the rally the military's intervention in the workers’ struggle. Nelson Johnson, an official of the Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Osmeña (Namaos), said the recent entry of the 36th Infantry Battalion into their area had brought nothing but threats to the residents’ lives.

"Just because we are struggling for our legitimate rights, they are now trying to intimidate us,” Johnson said.

Namaos is a 230-strong union of banana workers in Plantation 98, Higashima Farms-Stanfilco, in ComVal. Founded in 1997, the union's strong position in their recent CBA negotiations has prompted Compostela Mayor Reynaldo Castillo to allege that the union is a front of the New People's Army.

In an interview with Bulatlat, Johnson recounted that since the battalion's entry on Nov. 15, the soldiers have been conducting a series of town “meetings” and “inviting” union leaders to their camp for questioning.

At one point, the elements of the battalion forced their way into the house of one worker who was also a member of the union’s board of directors. Johnson said the 36th IB "borrowed" a copy of their CBA from the worker for no clear reason. “They just said they wanted to borrow it, when they have no business over this matter,” he said.

Namaos had fought long and hard for its members’ welfare during the CBA negotiations two years ago.

Poor human rights record

In Davao City, several groups from various sectors and mass organizations marched in the streets denouncing the Arroyo administration’s human rights record.

Omar Bantayan, the secretary-general of Kilusang Mayo Uno, said the labor sector grieved over the loss of their fellow peasants in the recent Hacienda Luisita massacre wherein seven peasants and two children were killed.

“The demands of the peasants were just and legitimate and yet they were answered with water cannons and gunfire,” Bantayan said.

Members of the Farmers’ Association in Davao City, as well as students and youths, expressed their disgust over the continued human-rights violations. Human-rights group Karapatan-Southern Mindanao said Arroyo surpassed the human-rights violations of previous regimes.

Alarming Figures

In Southern Mindanao alone, since 2001, there were 510 cases of HRVs victimizing 19,375 people. All were perpetrated by elements of the state, the military and paramilitary forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“These are alarming figures. Even more appalling are the brutality, brazenness and the impunity by which the AFP forces and the paramilitary groups commit these violations with the full tolerance and even encouragement of the President,” said Ariel Casilao secretary-general of Karapatan-Southern Mindanao. “As in the days of Marcos, state policy is implicit in the manner by which killings, disappearances and torture are conducted by the state’s forces.”

He added: “With President Arroyo hell-bent on pushing repressive measures such as the development aggression and militarization especially in the far flung villages of the region, we believe that the sorry state of human rights in the country will further aggravate.”

Karapatan-Southern Mindanao listed the following cases of human rights violations in different provinces of the region in the past four months:

• September 23. Divestment and destruction of properties, physical assault, forced evacuation and food blockade. Perpetrated by the 30th Special Forces Company led by James Lozada and Lt. Paulo Baylon in sitio Patong, barangay Mahan-ub, Bagangga, Davao Oriental.

• October 19. Physical Assault, grave threats and use of civilians in military operations. Perpetrated by elements of 73rd Infantry Battalion led by Pfc. Loreto Palma in Sitio Banban, Lumiad, Paquibato District, Davao City.

•  November 4. Massacre of Lumad civilians and their Datu in Sitio Kapatagan, Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte. Perpetrated by Alamara led by a regular soldier of the 72nd IB   .

• November 05 up to present. Grave threats, physical assault, destruction and divestment of properties, forced/fake surrender, forced evacuation and hamletting in barangay Candiis, LS Sarmiento, Km. 21 and Km. 33 in Laak, Compoestela Valley. Perpetrated by the Special Operations Team of 60th IB and 4th Scout Rangers Company.

• November 13-14. Abduction of two Moro civilians amidst their sacred celebration of Eidl’ Fitr’ perpetrated by the elements of the Military Intelligence Group and elements of 60th IB in Panabo City and Asuncion, Compostela Valley.

• November 18. Killing, strafing of civilians by suspected elements of the military in Baganga, Davao, Oriental.

• November 19-present. Physical assault, illegal arrest and arbitrary detention of Lumad civilian in Talaingod; hamletting, food blockade, harassment, forced recruitment and recruitment of minors and grave threats in far flung lumad villages (like in Sitio Tibukag, Brgy. Dagohoy) of Talaingod, Davao del Norte. Perpetrated by elements of 72nd and 73rd IB

• November 21. Summary execution of hors de combat Renante Ediza alias Ka Benjie, torture, sexual harassment, indiscriminate firing, illegal arrest and arbitrary detention in Sitio Dante, Brgy. Kisante, Makilala, North Cotabato. Perpetrated by elements of 39th IB headed by Col. Arnold Quiapo

• November 24. Physical assault, arbitrary detention, criminalization of political offenses in Sitio Moria, barangay Banlag, Monkayo, Compostela Valley. Perpetrated by elements of the 60th IB.

• December 6-7. Grave threats and harassment of fact Finding mission team; hamletting and food blockade in Barangay Candiis, Laak, Compostela Valley. Perpetrated by elements of the 60th Infantry Battalion.

Bulatlat

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