Lumad women
More than 100 tribeswomen have gathered in
The gathering coincided
with the first general assembly of
Sabokahan to mo Lumad Kamalitanan Confederation of Lumad Women where they raised various issues affecting the
tribal communities in the region.
Among the issues discussed during the assembly was the plight of the tribal women who were victims of
threats, harassments and various forms of abuses allegedly committed by
government soldiers. They also raised the continued presence of troops and
military encampments in schools which puts students at grave risk if rebels
attack the soldiers.
Bai Bibyoon Ligkayan Bigkay, a Matigsalog woman leader from
Natulingan town in Bukidnon province, urged tribal women to defend their rights
and ancestral domain for their children’s future.
“Violations of our human rights in our own land perpetrated
by the military are rampant,” she said. “We
demand the pull-out of military troops from the community, especially in
schools and farms so that civilians will not be living in constant fear.
This struggle is for our children and for their children as well.”
The “Save Our
Schools Network” also reported that 39 schools, mostly in the countryside, have
been used as military encampment. It also recorded more than
200 cases of human rights violations by military against civilians and students
in southern Mindanao .
It said the number of human violations by soldiers is
alarmingly increasing because of the military’s refusal to follow the law. It
said the Department of Education and Commission on Human Rights have not acted
on these reports.
There was no immediate statement from the Eastern Mindanao
Command and 10th Infantry Division about the allegations.
This appears to be Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) front group activity. The CPP has had some success in organizing human rights and sectoral groups (women/youth/peasant) among a number of lumad (hill tribe) groups. The Sabokahan to mo Lumad Kamalitanan Confederation of Lumad Women and the Save Our Schools appear to be two such groups. These groups engage in human rights propaganda campaigns targeting mainly the Philippine military. Conjured up allegations of military human rights abuses are characteristic of these groups along with demands for the removal of all military influence in local lumad schools or in specific geographic areas that are under CPP/NPA influence.
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