Activists in Baguio complain of harassment

From the Philippine Star (Oct 31): Activists in Baguio complain of harassment

Activists identified with left-leaning organizations based here complained of “witch-hunting” and “trick or treating” meant to scare them. The most recent case was that of 55-year-old Milagros Ao-wat, a volunteer of the health NGO Community Health Education, Services and Training in the Cordillera Region(CHESTCORE), who in September received a bag containing a black shirt, a stained white blouse and some tattered pairs of sandals. It was the Ao-wat's fifth “harassment” incident, said Imelda Tabiando of the Baguio-based Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC Inc.).... She lamented that instead of recognizing the efforts of the NGOs and development workers in helping hard to reach communities, they are tagged by the military as enemies of the state.Also, farmer-leader Modesto Hangoy from Tinoc, Ifugao, said AFP’s 86th Infantry Batalion is tagging farmers and residents as NPA rebels or symphatizers. He added that at night time, supposed intelligence agents spy on his home owing to suspicions that he is coddling NPA rebels.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=200&articleId=865414