Soldiers in Depredations Against Farmers in Southern Negros

From the Negros Daily Bulletin (Dec 4): Soldiers in Depredations Against Farmers in Southern Negros

Soldiers belonging to a unit of the 47th IB, which is deployed in Southern Negros, and who have been out on a series of military operations against the NPAs, forced a farmer in Tapi Village, Kabankalan City, to strip stark naked and took footage of him, using a video camera. The incident happened November 17, said Felipe Levy Gelle.

In an interview with DYRL’s "Tungkaron Ta Ini" program, yesterday the farmer identified himself as Billy Laga who owns a small farm in the area. He said he was working in his farm when the soldiers who belong to a 47th IB unit, composed of a number of men he could not identify, forced him to undress and in the buff took footages of his body concentrating on his sexual organ.

An embarrassed Laga covered his sensitive genitals but the soldiers forced him to remove his hands.

One of the soldiers who talked to him said he could profit from his incidental encounter with the soldiers if he admitted he was an NPA member. If he does so, he could get as much as P50,000 in army largesse.

After undressing the farmer, soldiers ridiculed him and ordered him not to return to his farm anymore.

Aside from their abusive conduct against him, soldiers also committed a series of human rights abuses during their operation in the hinterland areas of Kabankalan City.

This also took place after an encounter which wounded a soldier took place and a unit of the NPA guerilla, September 21 Movement’s Felipe Levy Gelle, said, during the "Tungkaron Ta Ini" interview.

http://www.ndb-online.com/120413/local-news/local-news-soldiers-depredations-against-farmers-southern-negros