The Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera and its member NGOs condemn Charlie Company 86th Infantry (Highland) Battalion of the 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Barangay Impugong, for the list of persons they tagged and branded as NPA that has been circulated in the municipality of Tinoc, Ifugao. This harassment and persecution is meant to scare and silence people who advance genuine people’s development, and who may have been critical of militarization in the area.
At a press conference in Baguio on October 17, 2012 the CDPC network of NGOs in the Cordillera exposed the harassment and persecution of development workers and community leaders in many parts of the Cordillera and specifically in Ifugao. But Col. Eliseo Posadas answered in an interview challenging the CDPC network to ‘‘first undertake research before coming out with statements’’ as, according to him, the AFP is upholding human rights.
Barely a week later, on October 25, 2012, the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) received a document entitled “MUNICIPALITY OF TINOC (Target Persons) from an anonymous concerned element of the 86th IBPA. The two-page document bears the logos of the 86th IBPA and the 5th ID and contains six columns listed as rank, name, grid coordinates of the GPS location of the person, organization and remarks/assessment.
This twisted cowardly act of the Philippine Army in coming out with a list of names that includes barangay officials, members of the community and development workers from the CDPC network belies the claim of Col. Posadas that they uphold human rights. Rather, the circulated AFP list is public evidence of transgressions on human rights against development workers including community people and barangay officials critical of development issues and human rights violations in their communities
The list of names included development workers with the CDPC network who are maliciously branded as “utak ng NPA (mastermind of the NPA).” Three development workers were targeted. Two CDPC staff were listed - Marvin Canyas as #25 (mistakenly identified as a CDRC employee) and Sibaen Sugao #24 while Santos Sicnawa of MRDC was listed as #23. Their identification is tantamount to saying that they are NPA. But they are not. They are all development workers-staff of the CDPC network. They persevere in the tedious task of giving education-training and assistance in the implementation of small scale projects in the community. They sacrifice to serve interior communities found in remote places which are neglected and marginalized areas of the Cordillera. Likewise, the barangay officials and the community people who were branded as “NPA supporters” are active local people in development work who are always willing to give time and effort for the development of their communities.
The devious list of the Charlie Company 86th Infantry Battalion puts in grave danger and risk the life and security of the targeted barangay officials, community people and development workers. Such list and red-tagging is already harassment and persecution; but gravely so, it puts in danger the lives of such targeted persons as it practically sets up these people for possible extrajudicial killing, as what has happened in the past. With this statement, the CDPC network puts on public notice that we hold the AFP—specifically the unit whose jurisdiction is Tinoc— accountable for any untoward incident on the life and security of development workers, barangay officials, and community people in the given list.
Circulating the list in the municipality is a systematic psy-war tactic of the AFP under its counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan. It aims to divide, threaten and silence the people from speaking their minds and being critical of development aggression, corruption, and militarization. It is meant to break the unity of development workers and communities that push for genuine peoples’ development. This action is not new as it was also used during the past regimes. Such tactics merely disrupt and add obstacles to the continuing advancement of people’s development that is self- determined and sustainable, especially in this age of globalization and climate change.
History has shown, and will continue to affirm, that such tactic will not prevail. People are intelligent enough to decipher the truth behind these actions, and brave enough to fight for their rights to development.
STOP THE HARASSMENT AND PERSECUTION OF DEVELOPMENT WORKERS, BARANGAY OFFICIALS, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES!
CONDEMN AND EXPOSE THE OPLAN BAYANIHAN TACTIC OF THE AFP IN THE RED TAGGING OF PERSONS AS LINKED TO THE NPA AS DONE BY THE CHARLIE COMPANY OF THE 86TH INFANTRY BATTALION IN TINOC, IFUGAO!
STOP MILITARIZATION!
SUPPORT GENUINE PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT!
For Reference: Imelda D. Tabiando (09998849880)
Spokesperson, DEFEND! Stop Harassment and Persecution of Development Workers and NGOs
Baguio City – November 9, 2012