Army condemns attack on Ifugao farmer's group volunteer

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 8, 2019): Army condemns attack on Ifugao farmer's group volunteer

The Philippine Army (PA) is strongly condemning the shooting and wounding of Brandon Lee, a paralegal volunteer of the Ifugao Peasant Movement (IPM), in front of his house in Lagawe town on Tuesday.

“We condemn this attack on Lee. We are now doing our part in investigating the matter in coordination with the local police. It is our main priority to find the perpetrators of the crime and bring them to justice,” said PA spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala in a statement Wednesday.

Lee is also a journalist who writes for the online news outfit, Northern Dispatch, and a human rights advocate.

In previous years, other members of the IPM were shot dead in Ifugao, such as William Bugatti in 2014 and Ricardo Mayumi in 2015.

Both incidents were blamed on the PA without concrete evidence.

“The Philippine Army is people-centered, thus we strictly adhere to the provisions of human rights. However, we invite those who are accusing the Army of committing these crimes to come forward and file the appropriate cases to the courts or to the Commission on Human Rights so there could be due process and proper investigation,” Zagala said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1077290