Spur Dos: ‘A Virtual Garrison’

By DAISY C. GONZALES

A "virtual garrison" was how Karapatan’s fact-finding report described the military's occupation of Spur Dos, a village on the border of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley Province last March 31 to April 2.

The military, the mission said, committed "grave violations of human rights done with impunity against defenseless civilian victims."

The FFM documented cases of looting and divestment of property that totaled P50,000, mauling and physical injuries, verbal assaults, hostaging, hamletting, food blockade, illegal arrest and detention, evacuation and indiscriminate aerial bombardment.

In the vicinity of the village’s elementary school, the mission recovered empty shells of smoke grenades as well as numerous packs of ready-to-eat "AFP combat ration" food scattered about.

Economic Interests

The mission's report said that "in the pretext of pursuing New People’s Army guerrillas, civilians bear the brunt of the military operations in these areas where the infamous gold-rush site of Diwalwal lies on the west side and big logging interest abound on the northeast of Davao Oriental." Karapatan cited the Diwalwal-based Southeast Mindanao Gold Mining Corp. and Picops logging concession in Monkayo and Davao Oriental in Southern Mindanao as reasons for the military presence.

Karapatan said that the presence of the military from the 30th Special Forces of the Philippine Army, as well as the "notorious" 60th Infantry Batallion and other police and military forces in these areas, is "precisely to protect the big mining and logging interest."

It was not the first time that military operations occurred in these areas. For the residents of Spur Dos, however, it was the first time that elements of the 30th SF were the ones conducting the operation.  Residents said it has always been elements from the 60^th IB who were behind the operations.

The mission described the 60th IB and the 30th SF and the military as a whole as "pathologically repeating the same human rights violations (since the) martial law years."

Elements of the 60th IB were allegedly behind the Mawab Four Massacre, where one NPA leader and an NPA medic, along with two mining workers, were killed violently two years ago.  The following year, residents positively identified members of the same contingent as having summarily executed three alleged NPA members.

According to a separate two-page report by the fact-finding mission, the 30^th SF had been unrelenting in its operations since August last year.  Cases of looting, mauling and harassment against civilians by elements of the team were documented in the farflung villages of Taytayan, Aliwagwag, Malibago -- all in Cateel town, Davao Oriental.

Karapatan's record showed that, in February last year, the 30th SF was also responsible for forcefully circumcising at least two residents in a village in Binondo, in Bagangga town, Davao Oriental.

Military's Accountability

Karapatan's fact-finding report recommended that:

• Appropriate charges should be filed against Capt. Nasser Lidasan as well as the elements of the 30th SF.
• In the spirit of command responsibility, 701st Brigade commander Col. Felipe Berroya and 7th Infantry Division commander Gen. Ernesto Carolina should be meted out with administrative sanctions.
• The Commission on Human rights in the region should act decisively and without delay.
• The Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHR-IHL) signed by the government and the National Democratic Front should be vigorously implemented; that the 30th SF and 60th IB and the whole military leadership should rigorously study CARHR-IHL.
• Suspension of military operations should be vigorously implemented and enforced as a confidence-building measure for the upcoming peace talks and to provide a climate of peaceful and orderly elections come May.
• The government should come-up with a comprehensive plan for the delivery of basic social services to Davao Oriental villages and other hinterland barangays. Genuine Agrarian reform should also be implemented.

Sione Caagay and two other Spur Dos residents have lodged their  complaints against the soldiers before the regional office in Davao City of the Commission on Human Rights. As a result, the CHR has set a visit to Spur Dos on April 25 for additional affidavits from rseidents.

Karapatan, meanwhile, has furnished  copies of the report to the regional CHR, the Ombudsman for the Military, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other government agencies.  It also gave copies to the National Democratic Front and "other belligerent forces in the peace process."

For its part, the military has consistently denied the allegations of abuses in Spur Dos. A spokesman told reporters in Davao City that the soldiers "followed procedures” and “respected human rights."  Nonetheless, the military has vowed to investigate the matter.

Still, the military did not relent in accusing residents of being NPA members. One time, a military spokesman said on a local radio broadcast that some residents of Aliwagwag, another village in Davao Oriental, are NPA members.

Southern Mindanao, which is composed of the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley, and Davao Oriental, is considered the hotbed of the Communist rebellion in Mindanao. #