His Excellency Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III
President
Republic of the Philippines
CC:
Hon. Paquito Ochoa Jr.
Executive Secretary
Hon. Voltaire Gazmin
Secretary
Department of National Defense
Hon. Corazon Soliman
Secretary
Department of Social Welfare and Development
Lt. Gen. Eduardo SL Oban Jr.
Chief of Staff
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Hon. Loretta Ann Rosales
Chairperson
Commission on Human Rights
Dear Pres. Aquino,
Greetings of Peace!
Sitio Dlumay is a peaceful community of B’laans in Saranggani Province, Mindanao. The B’laans, though living in scarcity and dire poverty, exerted every effort to develop their community, their identity and their strength as people through education, socio-cultural and economic activities. They organized themselves into KASBAKAS.
The Center for Lumad Advocacy and Services, Inc. (CLANS), a non-government organization (NGO), facilitated these activities through organizing the people and taught them about their basic human rights such as decent life, education, health services, clean and potable water and ancestral domain.
The B’laan children started learning the basics of early education. They were taught to love their community and their rich culture and traditions as Indigenous Peoples.
Through our organization and the generous collaboration with ARCI Comitato Regionale Toscana, an organization of more than 1 million members in Italy, and UNICOOP Firenze, the community was able to build a classroom for the children and adults for their literacy and numeracy classes. The construction of an additional classroom and a water system is under way.
On the main, it was smoothly operating. The teachers come from the community. They were trained on how to handle children in inclusion and recognition of their rights and roles, not just as children but more so as Indigenous Peoples.
Sad to say, the peaceful and struggling life of the community was threatened by the wanton abuses of the military elements in their community.
The harassments and violations of human rights have started in the last quarter of 2010, particularly in the adjacent B’laan areas. While in Sitio Dlumay, the atrocities started just last March of this year.
Children, as young as 7-13 years old were harassed by the military while they were on their way to plant trees. Their teacher was forcibly interrogated. Organizers and community teachers of CLANS were likewise accused as being members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Because of such false accusations and continued harassments, the community teachers of Blaan Literacy School and Learning Center (BLSLC) inevitably decided to temporarily stop the operations.
In another incident, a 10 year old boy was forced to wear a fatigue uniform. He was given an M-16 rifle and was photographed by the military to show that he is a child soldier.
These cases are just bits of events to disregard and disrespect human rights instigated by the elements of the 73rd Infantry Battalion spearheaded by Sergeants Jake Geron and Angelo Gerrbolingo, and a certain Cabawbaw (a.k.a. Art Juanes), Sam Molna, John Sanchez, Jake Meya and B’laan CAFGUs named Mando, Joseph and Yig Mante.
The military presence in the community is hindering the developmental rights of B’laan children. Moreover, the terror and intimidations hurled by men in uniform clearly violates the right to protection that every child should have.
Undoubtedly, living in fear and anxiety would taunt the growth and development of these children. They cannot live peacefully in their own community.
Moreover, these terrors surely affect their focus on their lessons and school activities, knowing that every day might be a day of harassment and questioning by the military.
Ironically, in 1990 the Philippine government signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) and passed a law betterly known as Republic Act 7610 or Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination. Under this law the state recognizes and guarantees the fulfillment of the rights of every child and in consideration of their best interests in every way possible. But in reality, this seems far from giving the B’laan children their right to survival, development, protection and participation.
We are very much alarmed and concerned for these human rights violations and in particular the violations of children’s rights that is not exclusively happening in Sitio Dlumay and B’laan communities in Sarangani Province but also in other areas in Mindanao.
As child rights advocates, we condemn these acts.
We are asking your Excellency to please immediately act on this situation, in the primacy of human rights. We are asking you to put a stop to such abuses perpetrated by the elements of 73rd IB and members of the CAFGU in the community and by immediately pulling out your troops in Sitio Dlumay and all the adjacent sitios within the said cluster.
As this is happening elsewhere, we are asking you to please conduct an investigation through your appropriate agencies. We also demand that the violators be put in jail and be punished for these crimes against children and humanity.
We are hoping that children would not live in terror and anxiety anymore, especially in rural poor areas. We hope that the impunity to human rights violations would finally meet its end.
In the service of the Filipino children,
(sgd)
Madella T. Santiago, RSW
Executive Director
Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA)
