The spokesman of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command has resigned and apologized for the issuance of a press release that United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons Chaloka Beyani called a “gross distortion of my views” on the plight of lumad refugees in Davao City.
Army Colonel Eduardo Gubat issued a statement saying he “humbly apologizes” to Beyani for what he called an “oversight” and the “the inconvenience it has brought” to the UN expert in the statement’s claim that hundreds of Manobo at the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Haran Mission House were “manipulated, not evacuees but victims of trafficking,” supposedly “based on the assessment made by” the UN expert during the exit brief he gave security officials in Camp Aguinaldo.
He said the “description of Haran Lumads as trafficked persons was the assessment of the AFP’s Eastern Mindanao Command and not of” Beyani and that, because of this, Eastmincom chief Lieutenant General Aurelio Baladad “has approved … my resignation as spokesperson.”
The press release prompted a response from Beyani’s media liaison, Graham Fox, who called it a “gross misrepresentation.”
Following this, the military released an audio recording of Beyani’s briefing as proof that its claim about what Beyani said was accurate.
On Thursday, Beyani himself issued a “statement of clarification” in which he blasted the military for its “unacceptable” claim.
(READ THE FULL STATEMENT OF DR. BEYANI: UN expert appalled at distortion of his views by Philippines Armed Forces)
At the same time, however, Gubat, in his statement, said the Eastmincom “maintains that Dr. Beyani in his exit briefing described that the Indigenous People in Haran are manipulated” and would take “the said observation constructively as guide in pursuing its mandate of protecting the Indigenous Peoples from the manipulation of unscrupulous individuals and organizations and help alleviate their sufferings and achieve the self-determination they are working for.”
However, Beyani, in his statement Thursday, also clarified what he meant by using the word “manipulated.”
“My reference to their (lumad) being ‘manipulated’ related to the attempt to forcibly move them out of the UCCP facility without proper and adequate consultation with them,” Beyani said, referring to the violent attempt on June 23 to evict the Haran refugees and return them to the communities they fled after these and even tribal schools were occupied by the military and after attempts to forcibly conscript them into the Alamara militia.
READ THE FULL EASTMINCOM STATEMENT:
EMC, AFP clarifies statement
This pertains to the press release dated 07 August 2015 entitled “Lumad in Haran are Manipulated: Not Evacuees but Victims of Trafficking."
The description of Haran Lumads as trafficked persons was the assessment of the AFPs Eastern Mindanao Command and not of the UN Special Rapporteur Cheloka Beyani.
The effect of the statement was not intentional.
I, the Spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command, Colonel Eduardo B Gubat INF (GSC) PA, humbly apologizes to UN Rapporteur Cheloka Beyani for such oversight and for the inconvenience it has brought to the UN Rapporteur.
By reason of such statement, Lt. Gen. Aurelio B. Baladad, AFP, Commander of Eastern Mindanao Command, AFP has approved of my resignation as spokesperson.
However, the Eastern Mindanao Command maintains that Dr. Beyani in his exit briefing described that the Indigenous People in Haran are manipulated.
The Command takes the said observation constructively as guide in pursuing its mandate of protecting the Indigenous Peoples from the manipulation of unscrupulous individuals and organizations and help alleviate their sufferings and achieve the self determination they are working for.
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/115956/eastmincom-spokesman-resigns-apologizes-for-lumad-trafficking-fiasco
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