Baguio City – Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera strongly condemns the vilification and harassment done to its interns and staff by members of the PNP and LGU of Daguioman, Abra during their press conference this May 23, 2014 at Highland Villa.
Interns from UP Manila Joshua Angelo E. Bata, Maria Sheena Betito and Paula Bianca and a member of NNARA John Carlo Mercado together with CHRA Audrey Berltran and CDPC staffs Merle Mero and Dina Mangan expressed their experiences of vilification and harassment from the PNP and members of the LGUs in front of the medias who attended.
CDPC Executive director, Jane Yap-eo stressed that in her three decades experience as development worker, this is the first time that Local Government Unit banned CDPC to enter a 5th class municipality to help in food security. She also added that the CDPC choose to service the least accessible and most neglected communities, villages that are not reached by government services because they are the ones who need assistance the most. And by doing this we have been vilified as members of the NPA but this is the first time that a municipal council barred us from serving their communities.
Also, staff and interns from UP Manila were in the area to continue the profiling of communities because it is being considered as a project area implementation, said Yap-eo. CDPC implement projects in support to agriculture and other livelihood projects identified by the community folk themselves. The projects are identified by the people based on their needs. We provide technical and financial support and educational and organizing assistance to set up the projects and to equip the community to manage and sustain the projects, Yap-eo added.
Meanwhile, CHRA Audrey Beltran stated that the persistent assault on development workers has been increasing over the year relating their work with the armed NPA. This systematic threat to development workers is a result of the counter insurgency program of the government under the name of Oplan Bayanihan because it does not differentiate the work between a development worker and the NPA.
“These development workers from the CDPC are the ones bridging the gap in terms of services which the government fails to render in Daguioman, Abra. Aside from CDPC, the people of Daguioman who are deprived of government services are also victims here” Beltran reiterated. LGUs should consider also the needs of the people in their municipality including their right to economic development, Beltran added.
After the sharing, challenges were pushed to the municipal councilors. Both from CDPC and CHRA agreed to come up with an action through a dialogue between them and the member of the PNP and LGUs of Daguioman, Abra. “Development workers should be allowed to enter the 5th class municipality of Daguioman, Abra to render their services. Also, this vilification and harassment of development workers has to stop. This kind of act further deprives the people of Daguioman, Abra in accessing services which they needed the most, Yap-eo ended.#