From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 12): Militants rally at Camp Aguinaldo over rape of ‘lumad’ girl
A militant women’s group picketed Camp Aguinaldo on Friday to demand that the military jail three soldiers accused of raping a teenaged “lumad” girl in Davao del Norte instead of just placing them under restricted custody.
Members of Gabriela, also called on the AFP to immediately pull out its troops from areas where indigenous people or lumad live, citing the series of alleged abuses committed by the military against the lumad.
Joms Salvador, Gabriela secretary general, said it appeared the soldiers were being given special treatment. “If common, poor people were tagged in this, they would have been jailed and beaten up. But since they are members of the AFP, they are merely restricted to their camp,” Salvador said.
Around 20 members of Gabriela joined the midmorning picket in front of Camp Aguinaldo’s Gate 2 as soldiers wielding shields and truncheons looked on.
Sought for comment, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said the protest was “part of a working democracy.”
“We just hope they will not break the law while expressing themselves,” Detoyato said.
The protesters eventually ended their protest after it began to rain.
Earlier, the Philippine Army said it has placed under restricted custody three of its soldiers allegedly involved in the rape of a 14-year-old lumad girl in Talaingod, Davao del Norte. The Army, through its Human Rights Office, said it was conducting a special investigation.
Salvador argued that the soldiers should be arrested and jailed rather than remain in the custody of the 10th Infantry Division.
The militant group cited a series of abuses against lumad, including the killings of three lumad leaders allegedly by an armed group.
“The prolonged presence of soldiers usually result in sexual offenses. Victims are afraid or ashamed to expose the crime after being threatened and pressured into settlement,” Salvador said.
The militant group urged other lumad victims of sexual abuse to come out and file charges against their attackers, even if they turn out to be with the military.
“Such moves will be a chance to punish these criminals and strengthen the resounding call to pull out military and paramilitary troops from their ancestral lands,” Salvador added.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/721408/militants-rally-at-camp-aguinaldo-over-rape-of-lumad-girl
GABRIELA (General Assembly Binding Women for Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action) is CPP sectoral front for women and a member of the main communist umbrella front organization, BAYAN (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-New Patriotic Alliance). A political front, Gabriela Women's Party, is a spin-off from the sectoral front, and is a member of CPP-linked MAKABAYAN bloc of party-list political parties.
ReplyDeleteThe commies have been consistent in their calls for the removal of Philippine military units from the lumad areas of Mindanao, especially the remote areas of Talaingod, Davao del Norte and in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
Front group efforts to discredit the Philippine military on human rights issues and their call for the withdrawal of military units from lumad areas should be understood in the context that those areas in question are strongholds of the New People's Army, the military wing of the CPP. Furthermore, the military has estimated that close to three-fourths of NPA strength in Northeast Mindanao consists of indigenous people or lumad. Thus it would appear that CPP front group propaganda activities support insurgent efforts in the field by attempting to protect NPA base areas and by allowing the rebels to sustain their recruitment efforts among lumad tribal groups.