From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 13): Military says NPA forcing IPs to extort
The military on Monday accused the New People’s Army (NPA) of forcing the indigenous peoples (IP) to extort in the hinterlands of Northern Mindanao.
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., commander of the army’s Fourth Infantry Division (4ID) based in Cagayan De Oro City, made the statement as the IP groups accused the government of committing “ethnocide” against leaders of the IP communities.
In a text message sent to reporters, Madrigal accused the NPA of arming the Lumads and forcing them to join in the extortion operations of the communist insurgents.
“We are still saddened by the grave violation of the NPA leaders on the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) Law, human rights and international humanitarian law when they continue to arm the IP exploits the tribal communities and force them to join the extortion activities,” Madrigal said.
During the press conference Monday, Jomorito Goaynon, the chair of the Kalumbay, an IP group, said that IP leaders who are actively demanding possession and assertion of ancestral lands are killed.
“The tribal leaders who are demanding for the ancestral lands are killed on charges that they are NPA rebels, which made them vulnerable to violent reprisals like assassinations, strafing, and physical, harassment,” Goaynon said.
He cited the February 3 killing of local Lumad leader Renato Anglao in Botong, Quezon, Bukidnon as an example.
Goaynon said that up until his death, Anglao had been actively campaigning for the Manobo-Pulanginons’ ancestral domain in his village, which is currently being used as a pineapple plantation.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=963638
Jomorito Goaynon is a long-time CPP-activist and chairman of the CPP-associated front group the Kalumbay Regional Lumad Organization, an alliance of indigenous organizations in northern Mindanao and CARAGA regions purportedly working for the right to ancestral land, self-determination and access to indigenous culture.
ReplyDeleteThe group frequently engages in anti-Philippine military propaganda/disinformation activities alleging human rights abuses/suppression of lumad rights.