NGO decries arrest of 13 IPs mistaken as rebels, sought CHR probe

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 8): NGO decries arrest of 13 IPs mistaken as rebels, sought CHR probe

A non-government organization (NGO) on Wednesday has decried the arrest of a family of 13 indigenous people (IP) in Bukidnon and urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to conduct a probe.

Roger Plana, Secretary General of Kalumbay Regional Lumad organization, an NGO of IPs in Northern Mindanao, has also expressed apprehension over the military’s unabated harassment of the members of tribal communities in the region.

He said that the arrest and detention of Jovito Anlagan Sr, Emely Anlagan, Charlito Eslaw, Jovito Anlagan Jr. along with three other civilians and five minors at the Manolo Fortich Police station, in Bukidnon followed after the massacre of four IPs in Misamis Oriental last February 2015.

The Anlagan family was on their way to Cagayan De Oro City when arrested by the police at a checkpoint in Alae, Manolo Fortich, on the evening of April 5 (an Easter Sunday), Plana said.

He said that the Anlagan family together with other Higa-onon farmers fled from their village in Sil-ipon, Libona, Bukidnon after Anlagan, Sr. has a verbal tussled with an army officer who tried to arrest Anlagan, Jr. early in the day.

Plana said that the elder Anlagan demanded from the army personnel “warrant of arrests” from the six soldiers who reportedly barged into his house in search of his son.

In the course of a heated argument, the unidentified army officer reportedly punched the elder Anlagan prompting the family to leave for fear of other untoward incident, Plana said.

He said that the military then tagged the Anlagan family as members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) on knowing that the eldest son Melvy Anlagan is a full-time staff of Kalumbay.

Melvy Anlagan said she advised her parents to leave their home on the evening of Easter Sunday to seek refuge as the army officers reportedly harassed them on several occasions.

The police in Manolo Fortich flagged down the vehicle where the Anlagans were on board in a checkpoint in Alae and reportedly recovered firearms inside the vehicles.

The police said that the suspects are reportedly NPA members who could not present documents to prove ownership of the firearms, which resulted in their arrest and detention.

Melvy Anlagan denied that her parents have firearms and sought the help of Kalumbay to look into the case of her parents.

Plana said the Kalumbay wants the CHR to conduct a probe into the alleged abuses perpetrated by the military on the members of the Higa-onon tribes who are ordinary farmers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=751445