Karapatan bares rights abuses in Southern Tagalog amid intensified military ops

By Helaena Rhyne Pontillas
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Karapatan Southern Tagalog presented on Aug. 15 the results of its recently concluded fact-finding missions in Mindoro, Rizal, and Quezon provinces, exposing cases of harassment, militarization, bombings, and killings of civilians committed by state forces.

The missions were launched following reports of clashes between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) in these areas, where human rights groups said civilians were severely affected.

“The incidents we are reporting happened in a month when we should be observing International Humanitarian Law,” said Jeverlyn Seguin of KASAMA-Southern Tagalog.

Among the cases probed was the killing of 50-year old farmer Juan Sumilhig in Occidental Mindoro. Karapatan paralegal Ida Palo said their investigation revealed that Sumilhig sustained two gunshot wounds, one in the chest and another in the shoulder. Police interviews reportedly contradicted the AFP’s claim that the incident was an armed encounter, pointing instead to what she described as a deliberate, pre-planned operation.

According to Palo, AFP troops had already camped in the area on July 27 – three days before Sumilhig was killed. Their findings also showed that the operation took place near Mangyan communities, not several hectares away as the military claimed. 

“Our only aim is to shed light on these cases once more, especially as the human rights situation in our region worsens,” Palo said.

The fact-finding team also documented conditions in San Jose and Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro, where communities live under heavy military presence. They reported that AFP soldiers and members of Citizens Armed  Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) maintained “red zones,” creating fear even in areas where no direct abuses were reported. Intelligence networks were also established, with informants allegedly paid P1,500 to P4,000 a month to report to the military. The group also added that outsiders must secure permission from the local purok chair before speaking to residents, while local governments and the military reinforce these restrictions by demanding fabricated “clearances” to enter certain areas.

Saara Rapisora of  Karapatan-Rizal recounted the experience of the relief team assisting Dumagat communities affected by the recent typhoons in Rizal. She said the soldiers were encamped at the covered court in Sitio Nayon, Rizal near a church and school, carrying high-powered machine guns. Under the guise of counterinsurgency, Rapisora said, the AFP has exerted operational control over local governance, economic activities and humanitarian access, a practice which she said amounted to de facto martial law in rural areas. 

Meanwhile, Adrian Paul Tagle of Tanggol-Quezon reported on military operations in Tagkawayan, Quezon, following an August 2 clash between AFP’s 16th Infantry Battalion and alleged NPA unit, where one NPA was reportedly killed. He said the aftermath included aerial strafing, bomb shelling, and intensified ground operations in nearby barangays, resulting in restricted movement for civilians.

International humanitarian law (IHL) was established to protect civilians and those not directly participating in armed conflict. Yet, according to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), violations continue in the countryside.

“Farmers and indigenous peoples are being targeted simply for defending their lands against corporations that want to seize them,” Ramos said. (AMU, RVO)

Related story: Mindoro clash leaves 2 dead, rights groups decry summary killing, harassment of humanitarian mission

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