A protest rally marked the commemoration of the declaration
of Martial Law in the country as human rights groups in Northern
Mindanao joined the nationwide indignation rally of the military
rule 43 years ago.
As the protest kick-off Monday morning, human rights group
here led by the KARAPATAN marched to the regional office of the Commissions on
Human Rights (CHR) to compel the CHR to act on cases filed against the military
with alleged human rights violations in Northern Mindanao.
Fr. Chris Ablon, the spokesperson of KARAPATAN (Rights) in
Northern Mindanao Region, said that the human rights groups have filed cases
against the military for alleged violation of human rights against members of
the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the region.
Charged before the regional Commissions on Human Rights
(CHR) here are elements of the First Scout Ranger Battalion under Col. Nasser
Ladasan of the army’s 4th Infantry Division, based in Cagayan De Oro City.
Ablon said that the cases stemmed from the alleged massacre
of members of the IPs in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon mid this year.
He said that one incident took place in Bugna, Misamis
Oriental sometime in March this year where five members of the IPs were
reportedly killed by elements of the scout battalion and the other in Pangantucan,
Bukidnon where another five IPs were killed on suspicion that they were
insurgents.
Datu Jomorito Guaynon, head of the Kalumbay, a
Bukidnon-based organization of IPs, also joined in the filing of the cases in
the CHR regional office here, Ablon said.
He said that the human rights groups also hold a protest
rally Monday afternoon to condemn the killing of the IPs and other violations
committed by the military in Northern Mindanao .
Ablon said that the protest rally also dramatized the
people’s condemnation against the military rule and urged the government to act
on alleged human rights violations against the IPs in Northern
Mindanao .
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=806428
This is largely CPP front group protest activity. Communist front groups commemorate a number dates/events every year by conducting protest actions. The 43rd anniversary of the institution of martial law (1972) is such an occasion. KARAPATAN and KALUMBAY are both CPP front organizations.
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