Indigenous peoples (IP) leaders have raised concern of fearing for their lives as members of New People’s Army continue to keep an eye on them after tribal chieftains surfaced to reveal the rebel group's atrocities.
In a hearing conducted by the House Committee on Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples on Monday, tribes who expressed support for government soldiers and protest the rebels lingering in their lands said they "shocked" the Salugpungan representatives with their presence.
“Nakuyawan na sila nga naabot mi kay wala sila nagtuo nga makaya namo adto. Nianhi mi diri para makabalo gyud ang tanan- ang kongreso og ang mga tao sa mga nahitabo didto sa amoang lugar (They were shocked to see us here because they did not expect that we can. We really went here so the Congress and the public may know the real events in our communities),” said Joel Dahusay, IP Leader from the municipality of Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
Dahusay said the founders and teachers of Salugpungan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Inc. are guised as teachers but in truth, they lure young and innocent children into joining the communist movement.
Dahusay, along with other tribal chieftains, travelled from their remote areas in Mindanao -- Talaingod and North Cotabato -- to "align everyone’s perception" with the truth.
Kidapawan City, North Cotabato tribal leader Datu Ramon Bayaan also joined the force to support his tribe, who are only wishing for peace in their communities.
“Karon nga nakit-an na mi nila nga dili mi angay sa ilahang ginabuhat, masuko na sila sa amoa. Ang amoa na lang gyud tinuod nga pag amping aron maluwas mi sa ilaha (After speaking up against these [Salugpungan members], they can already identify us and we know that this angers them. We can only be careful and aware of our actions so we may be spared from them),” the IP leader said.
No 'paramilitary groups'
Executive Director of Salugpungan Meggie Nolasco, on the other hand, pleaded to Congress that they still want to serve the IPs through educating them, but she said government forces are intimidating them to move out of the communities.
“Nagreklamo na po kami sa lahat po para lang po makatawag ng pansin, nagreklamo kami sa local police, sa DepEd (Department of Education), sa mayor (We already went to the local police, to DepEd, to the local government unit just to inform that we were being intimidated by these soldiers),” Nolasco expressed.
Talaingod Chief of Police, Supt. Rogaciano Rosales Gara, confirmed that the group reported to the cops, however, he said they did not request for assistance.
"Ang Salugpungan teacher ay naka record. At nagsabi sila na pinasara ang school nila. Inaksyunan po namin pero sabi po nila na i-attach lang nila ang blotter for DepEd. Hindi sila nagrequest ng police assistance, nagpa-record lang sila (A Salugpungan teacher reported to us but insisted that we no longer need to assist them and check their schools because they only need the blotter report so they can attach it as a formal certification and proof that somebody harassed them to DepEd),” Gara said.
Nolasco said “paramilitary groups” forcibly closed their schools because they urgently want them shut.
“'Yung mga paramilitary groups po hinaharass po kami, tapos sila po sapilitan nilang sinasara yung mga school namin eh legal naman po kami (Paramilitary groups harass us and send us away even if we are a legal establishment),” Nolasco added.
Datu Andigao Agay, a tribal leader in Talaingod, however said there are no paramilitary groups in the area.
“Bakak man na. Walay paramilitary group sa Talaingod, Bagani naa. Kami man nagpasirado sa ilahang mga eskwelahan kay wala may maayong gibuhat sa amoa tanan (Lies! There is no such thing as ‘paramilitary groups’ in Talaingod, there are only Baganis to protect us. We, the tribal leaders along with the community members closed their schools because it does not serve good to anyone)”.
Agay also said the Salugpungan schools do not release formal certifications so the students can enter high school.
"Wala man nagahatag ug Form 137 ang school, ang mga nag-eskwela didto nga mga bata namo kay dili makapadayun ug college, high school kay walay Form 137 (They cannot even release a Form 137 required by high schools and colleges, our children cannot enroll because they lack those)," he said.
North Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Nancy Catamco, for her part, explained that Baganis are part of structure in IP communities.
“Ang Bagani po ay kasama po sa ating indigenous political structure. Peacekeeper at warriors. They protect the rights of ancestral domain, nirerecognize po dyan mismo sa IPRA (Bagani is included in our indigenous political structure and recognized by the IPRA Law, they are peacekeepers and warriors of the tribes),” she said.
Legitimacy, not the issue
Dioleto Diarog, Tugbok District tribal leader, meanwhile, said they were actually the ones intimidated by the presence of NPA rebels.
“Amoang mga silingan nga makabalo didto kay naa puy connection sa taas kay muingon nga naapil na amoang mga pangalan didto sa OB , order of battle, List nila (Our neighbors who have connections in the NPA said that our names are already up on their 'Order of Battle' list),” he said.
Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief-of-staff for operations, Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., showed his sympathy to the tribal chieftains.
“Makabayan Bloc is bent on establishing the legitimacy of the private school Salugpungan and that it should not be closed. What the AFP wants to hear is their concern on the lives of the IP leaders being threatened by NPA for not allowing the Salugpungan,” he said.
“More significant is the issue whether to continue with these Salugpungan, legit or not, knowing now that the NPAs are training children to become rebels in these schools. With so many evidence/visuals presented as proof, the debate should have been whether to close them down or not,” he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060446
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