UN special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons Chaloka Beyani in a meeting with human rights activists and a leader of the lumad refugees in Davao City during his visit to the country last month. (file photo from Karapatan)
A party-list lawmaker has called out the Armed Forces of the Philippines on what she called “brazen distortions” in a military press statement quoting United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons Chaloka Beyani as saying lumad refugees in Davao City had been “manipulated.”
Gabriela Representative Luz Ilagan said the press statement, released Friday by the Davao-based Eastern Mindanao Command, constituted “a grievous diplomatic faux pas when it attributed statements to the UN special rapporteur which are contrary to the official report.”
The Eastmincom release, signed by its spokesman, Colonel Eduardo Gubat, and its public affairs office chief, Captain Alberto Caber, cited an exit brief in Camp Aguinaldo where Beyani supposedly said: “When we asked them about the circumstances in which why they left their areas they say they were at risked at force recruitment into Alamara and the movements to that area was in protest in relation to the presence of Alamara, so they wanted to make a point that that was what happened. But I have been there for some time, I think they got manipulated.”
A handful of media outfits ran reports using the Eastmincom release but offered no proof of Beyani’s supposed statement, which runs counter to the official statement he released July 31, at the end of his mission, although a few claimed the briefing had been “recorded.”
(CLICK HERE TO READ DR. BEYANI'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT)
Beyani was here last month on a 10-day visit on the invitation of government to look into the situation of internally displaced persons, including some 700 Manobo from Davao del Norte who have sought refuge at the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Haran Mission House in Davao City.
His visit to Haran came days after a violent attempt to evict the lumad and forcibly return them to the communities they said they had fled because of militarization.
The attempted eviction came after North Cotabato Representative Nancy Catamco raised allegations earlier aired by the military that the Davao City refugees were being held “against their will” and were victims of “trafficking” by nongovernmental and religious groups.
Discussing his visit to Haran in his statement, Beyani said he was “concerned” by the plight of the refugees but made no reference to the lumad being "manipulated."
“I heard from the AFP its assertion that it is seeking to protect the communities and provide services to them in conflict regions; however the displaced IPs made it clear that it is their presence and that of the paramilitary groups in their communities that continues to create anxiety amongst the indigenous communities,” Beyani said in his statement.
“The community wishes to return to its lands but stressed to me that they will only feel safe to do so if the long-term militarization of their region comes to an end and they can return with guarantees of safety, dignity and protection,” he added. “They described to me their concerns including their alleged forced recruitment into paramilitary groups, known as Alamara, under the auspices of the AFP and harassment in the context of the on-going conflict between the AFP and the NPA. Schools have reportedly been closed and/or occupied by the AFP or Alamara, hampering the access to education of indigenous children.”
At the same time, Beyani stressed that the situation at Haran “is neither acceptable nor sustainable” and urged “a rapid and peaceful solution to their situation in full consultation with their legitimate leaders, with their voluntary and secure return to their ancestral lands being a high priority” and for government, “in consultation with indigenous peoples themselves, to give greater attention to addressing the causes of displacement whether it be due to the militarization of their areas or due to development projects.”
Ilagan, who hails from Davao City, warned that “a diplomatic protest can be lodged against the AFP and the Philippine government” for placing Beyani “in an awkward and embarrassing position.”
She also urged “media practitioners who echoed the AFP press release” to be “more zealous in their research and be accurate in their reportage.”
BELOW IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE EASTMINCOM PRESS RELEASE:
PRESS RELEASE
LUMADS IN HARAN ARE MANIPULATED: Not Evacuees but victims of trafficking
NSFA, Panacan, Davao City - MEMBERS of Indigenous People (IP) inside the compound of United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP) in Haran, Davao City are manipulated, not evacuees but victims of trafficking.
This was based on the assessment made by United Nation (UN) Special Rapporteur Cheloka Beyani during the exit brief at the Operations Center of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in Camp Aguinaldo.
“When we asked them about the circumstances in which why they left their areas they say they were at risked at force recruitment into Alamara and the movements to that area was in protest in relation to the presence of Alamara, so they wanted to make a point that that was what happened. But I have been there for some time, I think they got manipulated.” Beyani said.
It can be recalled that tension gripped inside UCCP Haran last July 23 as government forces and other concerned agencies tried to rescue at least 1000 members of lumads both from Davao and Bukidnon who were deceived by militant groups by saying that militarization will harm their lives.
Aside from the militarization, other issues that allegedly prevented the IPs inside Haran from going back to their ancestral land are human rights abuses allegedly performed by the military and closure of Salugpungan, the school allegedly infiltrated by leftist.
On the part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) Commander Lt. General Aurelio Baladad stressed that there was no militarization, and the presence of military in the area only occurred because of the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA) harassing the tribal community.
“Kaya may military kasi may NPA sa area, the AFP mandate is to protect the people,” Baladad said.
The statement of General Baladad was also confirmed by Tribal leaders in Kapalong and Talaingod, Davao del Norte led by Datu Nestor Apas saying that Indigenous People (IP) were not harassed by the military.
“Hindi kami tinatakot, hinaharas ng military, tinutulungan nila kami, ang nagbabanta sa aming mga buhay ay ang NPA,” Datu Apas said.
On the alleged human rights abuse of the military against the IPs in the Region, General Baladad said the military will not tolerate any abuse and if anyone of his men will be found guilty of such abuse, they will surely punish it.
“We do not tolerate, we investigate, we punish,” Gen. Baladad said.
On the closure of Salugpungan, Datu Apas said , the school was closed not because of the military but because of request of tribal leaders in the area that were alarmed with the radicalization of students inside the said school.
Contact:
COL EDUARDO B GUBAT (INF) PA
Spokesperson, Eastern Mindanao Command
Mobile Nr: 09173005950
Email: eastmincom.pio2014@gmail.com
CPT ALBERTO C CABER (INF) PA
Chief, Public Information Office
Mobile Nr: 0917-6308-501
Email add: caber.ac@gmail.com and
eastmincom.pio2014@gmail.com
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/115759/diplomatic-faux-pas--afp-misrepresented-un-expert-on-lumad-issue---gabriela-solon
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