By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO Bulatlat.com DLUMAY, Sarangani — (Second of two parts) In an effort to document the human rights violations being perpetrated on the Blaans, Clans organized a peace and solidarity mission to visit Sitio Dlumay. More than 150 reporters and members of NGOs responded to CLANS’ invitation. The participants left General Santos…
Tags: oplan bayanihan
Neglected, Blaans unite, empower themselves

By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“Our lives as Blaans are not affected no matter who wins the national elections. It is these non-government agencies who have been doing a big chunk of their work to improve our lives. So no one could take that away from us.”
Tale of two indigenous women: survivors of military abuse
By LYN V. RAMO Bulatlat.com MANILA — Two indigenous women, one an Aggay and another a Higaonon, share the yoke of the military abuses inflicted against mountain peoples and indigenous peoples. Their husbands, also from the same indigenous groups, had fallen victims to military and para-military atrocities. Both coming from the peasant masses eking out…
Gen. Chan is exploiting Samar bishops like chess pieces in Oplan Bayanihan’s game of war
The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today said the 8th Infantry Division is exploiting the bishops of the Catholic Church in Samar like chess pieces in Oplan Bayanihan’s game of war. “It is reprehensible for 8th ID chief Gen. Mario Chan to exploit the bishops of the Catholic Church, a moral institution, in order to push…
No respect of human rights in Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan – Karapatan
MEDIA RELEASE 24 June 2011 MANILA — “You cannot escape accountability with another lie,” said Marie Hilao-Enriquez in reaction to Gen. Eduardo Oban’s statement that there is “no HR (human rights) violations this year.” AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban earlier said in a news report that Oplan Bayanihan, Aquino’s version of GMA’s Oplan Bantay Laya…
Case against 72 activists in Southern Tagalog revived
It seems that even the dead is not spared. On the first anniversary of his death, Rogelio Galit’s family received a subpoena from the provincial prosecutor’s office in San Pablo City.
Peace mission in Davao reveals rights, humanitarian law violations under Oplan Bayanihan

By RONALYN V. OLEA
“The killings of Rudy and his son Rudyric Dejos in Sta. Cruz and of Santos Manrique in Pantukan brought into the limelight the real face of Oplan Bayanihan and revealed what was concealed in the peace and development coating of the Aquino administration’s continuation of the wicked legacy of past counterinsurgency programs,” the mission said in a statement.
Sidebar: Resistance to mining exploration gave rise to rights violations
Satur C. Ocampo | A lament, so soon
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star “Cases of extrajudicial killings need to be solved, not just identify the perpetrators but have them captured and sent to jail.” This was Noynoy Aquino’s statement in a meeting with European Union ambassadors just a few weeks before being elected president last year. One…
A first hand experience with Oplan Bayanihan

By RONALYN V. OLEA
The solidarity mission went to Pantabangan to document the conditions of the Igorot community who are being displaced from the land they have been tilling. The team did not expect that they would experience what the Igorots have to put up with in their struggle for land.
Sidebar: For two Igorot women, a constant struggle to survive
Farmers in Eastern Visayas bear brunt of military’s anger over setbacks
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — Many Filipinos who have never been outside Luzon may very well wonder where Samar is. Many may even be stymied if confronted with queries as to where Eastern Visayas is in the Philippine map. In any case, both the region and the province are seldom featured in…
Farmers Hold Caravan Protest Against PH-US Balikatan Exercises in Central Luzon

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
“We were never fooled – the motives of the US have always been self-serving. The US has always made sure to protect its own economic and geopolitical interests in Asia and it has been using the Philippines to do this.” – Satur Ocampo of Makabayan