with reports from AC Tupas
In commemoration of this year’s International Human Rights day, organizations under Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), KARAPATAN Negros, and Human Rights Advocates Negros called for greater resistance to the human rights violations in Negros Island during a mass mobilization at the Fountain of Justice, Dec. 10.
In a joint statement, BAYAN Negros and Karapatan Negros highlighted the new Marcos administration’s offenses, saying, “Not even six months into his term, there is continued hamletting of far-off peasant communities…In Himamaylan, more than 15,000 civilians were forced to evacuate and leave their homes while the Armed Forces of the Philippines continued indiscriminately firing at their homes, shelling mortar cannons and howitzers, and stealing the masses’ livestocks. Even minors and infants of alleged rebels are reportedly being terrorized by the AFP.”
“Clearly, Marcos is set to continue focused military operation in Negros, where feudal exploitation is most concentrated and where natural resources (such as mining) are being eyed by foreign investors. Marcos is just as happy to please the despotic landlords of Negros, who continue to rob farmers of the land they themselves till,” the statement continued.
The groups condemned and called for the abolishment of the National Task Force in Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which was founded in 2018 under former President Rodrigo Duterte, and had long been criticized by progressive groups for exorbitant funding and attacks on human rights workers and activists.
Their statement also illustrated how the NTF-ELCAC suppresses and intimidates the masses in Negros, stating, “The AFP and other mouthpieces from the NTF-ELCAC are spending millions from the Support to Barangay Development Program to coax the peasant masses into being ‘fake surrenderees.’ There are also intensified cases of red-tagging and threats on mass leaders even in the city centers. Just last month, peasant leader Danilo Tabura was surveilled in the premises of the NFSW office.”
“Ginapanawagan namon nga untaton na ang pagpamaslang! Respetuhon dapat ang tawhanon nga kinamatarong, iya ka indibidwal man ukon grupo. Wala man dapat interbensyon ang militar sa mga eskwelahan kay indi man ini makabulig sa mga estudyante, kundi nagahatag lamang sa ila sang kakulba,” BAYAN Spokesperson Noli Rosales said.
The youth sector also emphasized their opposition to the proposed Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) which has just been recently passed in the House Committee level in Congress.
“Nagapati kami [nga mga pamatan-on] nga ang mandatory ROTC [ginaduso] para mobilisahon ang mga estudyante nga mangin reserve force sang AFP. Lubos man namon ginakundenar ang sunud-sunod nga pag-atake sa pamatan-on, ilabi na sa mga progresibo nga grupo,” Kabataan Partylist – Negros Spokesperson RJ Ledesma highlighted.
In addition, the groups denounced the killings of peasants and activists and the rising inflation in the country, and as well clamored for accountability of the Marcos-Duterte regime.
“Panawagan gid namon nga maka-angkon sang duta nga wala pagpamahog. Wala gid kahilwayan ang pagbaton namon sang duta. Gapanawagan man kami sa tarong nga puluy-an kag pangabuhi para sa amon. Gusto man namon mahatagan hustisya ang perti kasahol nga pagpaslang sa kaupod namon nga peasant organizer sa Kabankalan nga si Joseph Jimenez,” asserted Alex Necesario from Kilususang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas – Southern Negros.
Moreover, they called for the freedom and immediate release of 141 political prisoners in Negros island, including youth peasant organizers Harlyn Balora and Karina de la Cerna.
On the same day, more than 120 political prisoners from Negros participated in a one-day fast to protest the increasing human rights violations in Negros.
Leading up to today’s march and protest in Bacolod, the groups visited political prisoners on December 3, and on December 9, trooped to the Region 6 satellite office of the Commission on Human Rights calling for the immediate investigation of human rights violations in Negros, particularly the recent fake encounter that resulted in the killing of peasant organizer Joseph Jimenez and NDF peace consultant Ericson Acosta.
In Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, the Samahan para sa Interaktibong Kalihokang Agraryo sa mga Artistang Bayan (SILAAB) participated with Silliman University Fine Arts Department Student Organization on December 7 to organize a creative space between student-artists and human rights advocates to discuss and express their inclinations regarding the human rights situation in Negros.
Paghimutad 