Caber says Karapatan’s claim is just ‘malicious propaganda’

From the Mindanao Times (Aug 13): Caber says Karapatan’s claim is just ‘malicious propaganda’

THE MILITARY decried as “malicious propaganda” the claim of progressive groups that they are coercing the lumads to join protests in Tagum and Davao City.

 

Capt. Alberto Caber, information officer of the Eastern Mindanao Command, told TIMES yesterday that “it is a clear black propaganda against us to hinder our operations.”

 

Caber said that Karapatan has never said anything good about the government and that all the rallies here have been instigated by the group especially the one at the Haran compound of the UCCP Church.

 

Karapatan on Wednesday morning issued a statement saying some lumads from Sitio Laslasakan, Talaingod, Davao del Norte reported that they have been forced by the military to join protests in Tagum and Davao City.

 

“Nino, whose name was held for security purposes, said that he and his companions in Sitio Laslasakan were harassed by the military, and then coerced to falsely admit that they were NPA,” the statement read.

 

The statement added that after a few days, Nino was brought to Talaingod, where he and some other people were presented as rebel returnees to the public.

 

Then, they boarded trucks and were sent to the Radyo ni Juan station in Tagum City, where they were told to rally against the said station on June 12.

 

Nino said that they were told by the soldiers to shout to Radio ni Juan that they should do their reportage properly and not hit on the military.

 

After their protest in Tagum they were brought to Camp Panacan in Davao City to protest and call for the return of PDAF, for the removal of the Salugpungan schools, and for the military to remain in Talaingod.

 

Meanwhile, Hanimay Suazo, secretary-general of Karapatan-SMR, said that the case of Nino and several others are again another glaring example of the military’s tactic of pitting the lumads against each other.

 

“Lt.Col. Zosimo Oliveros of the 68th IB and Col. Harold Cabreros of the 1003rd have been making puppets of the Talaingod Manobos. It is clear that their presence and hand in Talaingod bring nothing more but even greater hardships for the people,” she added.

 

http://mindanaotimes.net/caber-says-karapatans-claim-is-just-malicious-propaganda/