Military official 'threatens' farmers, HR workers during live radio interview on reported rights violations in Samar town

By KATUNGOD SB
October 11, 2015

TACLOBAN CITY – Farmers from an upstream barangay in Basey, Samar who went to Tacloban City on October 10 to report on radio the encampment of military men in their barrio center ended up being threatened themselves by the top commanding officer of the accused military battalion.

Leni Sabaniao, the Sitio Captain of Burabod, a sitio of Barangay Mabini, Basey decry what she called as ‘threatening response’ of 87th Infantry Battalion commanding officer Colonel George Domingo as if to warn her for reporting the occupation on media.

Colonel Domingo was quoted as telling the farmers over radio: “Huwag po kayong mag-alala… kayong nagsumbong diyan sa Bombo Radyo, hindi po ako magkakamali, mas mahal nyo po ang [New People’s Army] NPA kaysa sa sundalo kaya magbabantay din po ako sa inyo… sila yung nagrereklamo, at sila ‘yung nasasaktan dahil nung pumasok na ang sundalo nawawalan na ng clout ang NPA sa lugar…”

KARAPATAN human rights group was also red-tagged on air by Colonel Domingo saying “Alam naman po natin na ang National Democratic Front, katulad ng KARAPATAN ay miyembro ng National Democratic Front. Ito ‘yung mga nagdedepensa at nagsusuporta sa armado [NPA] at sila rin ang nagrereklamo kapag pumapasok ang sundalo…”

Katungod Sinirangan Bisayas spokesperson Jun Berino assailed this red-tagging made by Colonel Domingo. “It is alarming that the military has publicly tagged the farmers as NPA supporters. It is even more alarming to note that they would not recognize their rights just for being labeled as [NPA] supporters,” Berino said.

Berino, while explaining the civil rights of the civilians, was also commented on by Colonel Domingo: “Hindi niya karapatan ang kanyang ipinaglalaban kundi ang karapatan ng masa na nagsusuporta sa NPA, ‘yan ang kanyang ipinaglalaban.”

Berino expresses alarm over Colonel Domingo’s statement and hopes this does not result to further rights violations upon recalling that during the reign of former Major General Jovito Palparan in Eastern Visayas in 2005, red-tagging consequently leads to harassment and a number of extrajudicial killings or arrests against individuals or organizations who are subjected to such by the military.

Early this year, the presence of military in the barrios of Basey prompted the farmers to evacuate from their communities to the municipal town center. Katungod-SB has documented various cases of rights violations in the said communities. Berino of Katungod-SB stressed that under Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan, the military launches operations in the name of ‘peace and development’. However, Katungod-SB said that ‘verified reports belie the military’ pointing out to the incident of indiscriminate firing that involved elements of the 87th Infantry Battalion last February 16, this year, in Sitio Burabod, Barangay Mabini hitting 4 houses in the community and grazing a 14-year-old female high school in her head.

Colonel Domingo, however, denied the violations and suggested that Sabaniao and rights group Katungod must not be protected by law. Domingo insisted, referring to the farmers: “They are part of the problem, ngayon inirereklamo nila kami. Tandaan po natin mga taumbayan, silang mga lumalabag sa batas wala pong karapatan sa protection of the law…” and continued saying “ang mga taong hindi sumusunod sa batas ay walang karapatang magreklamo.” He would repeat the same statement many times in the course of the interview.

At the end of the interview, Colonel Domingo added, “tatandaan niyo, dahil sa pagsasalita nyo d’yan sa Bombo Radyo, makikilala ko kayo, at makikilala niyo rin ako.”

Domingo admitted they have occupied the high school building in Brgy. Mabini but with permission from the Municipal Mayor and barangay officials in Mabini. “Mayroong approval ang mga barangay officials na sila [the soldiers] ay pansamantalang makitira doon sa eskwelahan sapagkat ilalayo ko sila doon kapag naipasok ko doon ang mga tent namin… kinausap ko rin po ang Mayor, ipinaalam po natin dyan. Ngayon kung sila ay aatakehin ng NPA, na sila ay nasa eskwelahan, bakit nyo po sisisihin ang sundalo, at bakit hindi nyo sisihin ang NPA?” said Colonel Domingo.

The farmer-leader wants the armed so-called ‘Peace and Development Teams’ to pull out immediately from their community and school. Just last month, the military encamped in the barrio center had an encounter with reported members of the NPA. They have been staying for more than a month since September. Domingo said the encampment is temporary and insisted that reports of human rights violations are all but accusations of communists.