Children's groups protest, demand respect for human rights in Mindanao

Children join a protest Tuesday, September 14, 2010 in Davao City in the southern Philippines to dramatize their demands for respect to human rights. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Karlos Manlupig)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 14, 2010) - Children’s advocate groups have staged a rally Tuesday in the Mindanao city of Davao in the southern Philippines to dramatize their demands for respect to children’s rights by security forces in Mindanao.

Organizers said the military often tagged minors suspected or accused as supporters of rebel groups as “child soldiers” and worse, some of them had been arrested or killed by troops in counter-insurgency operations.

The rally was spearheaded by members of the Children's Rehabilitation Center and KABIBA Alliance for Children's Concerns in Mindanao. At least 10 children also joined the dozens of advocates during the rally.

Organizers said security forces should respect the rights of the children as the protesters condemned the tagging of children as “child soldiers.”

“We only want respect for human rights for these children who are innocent and had been dragged into this counter-insurgency operations by the military,” one protester said by phone.

Organizers said just this year, three minors, two girls from Monkayo town in Compostela Valley and a boy in Makilala town in North Cotabato province was tagged as New People’s Army child soldiers and had been subjected to mental torture and forced to admit they were rebels.

The protesters claimed that it has now become a habit of the military to tag children-victims of rights violations as “child soldier” apparently to escape from their accountability and at the same time misrepresenting them as such for their war propaganda. They said the senseless yet brutal campaign of Oplan Bantay Laya is not only targeting perceived enemies of the State, but innocent children as well.

Oplan Bantay-Laya is the codename of the military’s anti-insurgency campaign in the country.

The groups also demanded justice for Grecil Buya, the nine-year old girl, who was killed by government soldiers in an alleged clash with communist rebels in 2007 in Compostela Valley.

Buya’s family said the girl was only fetching water from a river when soldiers opened fire on her. She was shot in the head.

The rally, which was also participated by human rights groups Hustisya and Karapatan, last about two hours. (With a report from Karlos Manlupig)

Death of Filipino girl killed in war to be remembered

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - It’s been two years since we were shockingly awakened by the tragic death of an innocent girl-child victim, Grecil Buya.

She was a frail child, an eager student, a responsible sister to her younger siblings, and a loving daughter to her hard-working peasant parents. Her parents and siblings are living in appalling conditions of poverty due to economic uncertainties and the disruptions brought about by continuous military operations in their community.

She was fatally hit with bullets in her elbow and head which caused her death during an encounter between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) near their residence in New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province on the morning of March 31, 2007.

According to the Regional Program Director of Children’s Rehabilitation Center – Southern Mindanao Regional Office (CRC-SMRO), Girley dela Cerna, “the military wittingly claimed that they killed the young child Grecil because she was an “NPA child soldier” and was good at maneuvering a rifle. But the 67th Infantry Battalion under the 1001st Infantry Brigade of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army retracted their position when found out in a series of investigations that Grecil was an innocent civilian, a child-victim not spared by their desperate attacks.”

“Two years had already passed but still, justice is elusive for the child-victim and her family. The family was already uprooted from their home place because of continuous military harassment and coercion to drop the case against them. Their economic activities were paralyzed as well as the rights of the children for recreation, development and protection. The family could not even visit the cemetery where Grecil was buried because until this time, the military is threatening the entire family including the children for arrest,” dela Cerna added.

“While the three remaining siblings had strive to overcome their deep traumatic experiences (countless nightmares, bed wetting, crying in their sleep), but how can these children surpass the scarred memories when they frequently see military men in uniform and tracking down their family’s residence? Until now, the family is not even protected and their lives are posed in great danger,” the CRC-SMRO director said.

“Grecil’s case could happen to any vulnerable children who can be legitimate targets of attack by State security forces who are militarizing civilian communities and implementing low intensity operations (LIO) under the framework of Oplan Bantay Laya. Gross violations on children’s rights continue to escalate while the Arroyo government is desperate in its drive to crush the insurgency through massive military operations. Through Oplan Bantay Laya, children are not spared from killing, maiming, torture, illegal arrests and detentions, and misrepresenting them as rebel “child soldiers” which are concrete violations of children’s human rights,” dela Cerna said

The 2nd-year death of Grecil will be commemorated through Interfaith Prayer and Candle lighting which will be held Tuesday at 5:00-6:00 p.m. at the Centennial Park in Davao City.

Child rights advocates as well as humanitarian groups will gather to lit candles for our unending quest for justice and peace. Justice for Grecil and all the children victims of state terrorism,” dela Cerna said.

Berdugo Ng Bata, Restricted Na Daw!

COMPOSTELA VALLEY (Mindanao Examiner / 27 Apr) - SUMASAILALIM ngayon sa mahigpit na seguridad ang isang grupo ng mga sundalong sangkot sa pagkakapaslang sa isang hinihinalang batang gerilya sa Compostela Valley.

Nabatid kay Armed Forces Public Information Office Chief Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro na kinailangang ilagay sa angkop na restriksyon ang mga dawit na sundalo upang masigurong mapapaharap ang mga ito sa imbestigasyon.

Ang grupo ay pinangunahan ni 2nd Lieutenant Francis John Gabawa, ang platoon leader, sa ilalim ng 1001st Infantry Brigade, na sumagupa sa mga rebelde at ikinasawi ni Grecil Buya, 9 anyos.

Mismong ang 10th Infantry Division ng Philippine Army na ang tumututok sa pagsisiyasat upang matukoy kung sadyang may pananagutan ang mga sundalo sa pagkakasawi ni Gelacio na sinasabing biktima ng cross-fire.

Una na ring sinabi ni 1001st Infantry Brigade Commander Brigadier General Carlos Holganza ang pagdududa na isang rebelde ang napatay na si Buya dahil sadyang napakabata umano nito upang maging mandirigma.

Mas naniniwala pa si Holganza na nasawi si Buya sa gitna ng sagupaan ng mga rebelde at militar kaysa sa sinasabing napatumba ito sa giyera.

Depensa ng heneral, maraming indikasyon na isa lamang ordinaryong residente na nadamay o natamaan sa barilan ng mga komunista at tropa ng pamahalaan ang naturang biktima.

Hindi rin niya mapapanagot ang tropa ng mga sundalo sa ganitong sitwasyon."Why should they be held accountable? Her death, at the very least, it was a crossfire incident. "There are indications that point towards crossfire. There are very, very strong indications," ani Holganza.

Kaliwa’t-kanan na batikos naman ang ibinabato kay Holganza dahil sa kanyang mga pahayag. Dapat umano ay humingi ito ng patawad sa pamilya ng biktima at sampahan ng kaso ang sundalong nasa likod ng pagpatay.

“Paano kaya kung anak ng isang heneral ng militar ang mabaril at mapatay ng mga sundalo at sabihing cross-fire ito. Ano kaya ang pakiramdam ng heneral?,” ani pa ni Ben Serantes, isang human rights activist sa bayan ng Monkayo sa lalawigan.

Unang nagbigay ng press release ang militar na nagsasabing napatay umano nito ang isang "child warrior" ng NPA, ngunit biglang bawi matapos na mapatunayang inosenteng sibilyan ito (May ulat nina Juley Reyes at Juan Magtanggol)

Batang Napatay Ng Militar, Kolateral Damage!

QUEZON CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 25 Apr) - Hindi mapapanagot ang tropa ng mga sundalong sinasabing responsable sa pagkakapaslang ng isang 9-anyos na bata na unang pinagbintangang gerilya ng militar sa sagupaan sa Compostela Valley.

Kasabay nito, ipinahayag kanina ni Army General Carlos Holganza ang pagdududa na isang rebelde ang napatay na si Grecil Buya dahil sadyang napakabata umano nito upang maging mandirigma.

Mas naniniwala pa si Holganza na nasawi si Gelacio sa gitna ng sagupaan ng mga rebelde at militar kaysa sa sinasabing napatumba ito sa giyera.

Depensa ng heneral, maraming indikasyon na isa lamang ordinaryong residente na nadamay o natamaan sa barilan ng mga komunista at tropa ng pamahalaan ang naturang biktima.

"Why should they be held accountable? Her death, at the very least, it was a crossfire incident. "There are indications that point towards crossfire. There are very, very strong indications," ani Holganza.

Gayunman, sinabi ni Holganza na handa itong humingi ng paumanhin sa pamilya Gelacio kung mapatutunayang napatay ito sa crossfire nuong Marso.

Nauna nang kinasuhan ng pamilya ng bata ang tropa ng mga sundalong nakapatay sa menor de edad sa katwirang sabon at hindi M16 rifle ang dala ng kanilang anak.

Nabatid naman kay Holganza na sinuspinde nito ang imbestigasyon sa naturang insidente nang tumanggi ang ama ni Grecil, na pinaghihinalaan ring NPA, na makipagtulungan sa mga awtoridad. (Juley Reyes)

Protest Mount Over Killing Of Innocent Girl In South RP

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner /19 Apr) – Political activists on Thursday urged the Commission on Human Rights to expedite the investigation on the murder of a nine-year old school girl shot dead by government soldiers in the southern Philippines.

Grecil Buya was killed on March 31 during a military offensive against New People’s Army rebels in Compostela Valley’s New Bataan town. The military initially reported that the girl was fighting alongside with rebels.

The Gabriela Women’s Party List group also picketed Thursday in front of the CHR regional office in Davao City.

“As mothers, we are very dismayed over the escalating number of child-victims by these atrocious killings of the military and the nonchalance of the Arroyo government that coddles these perpetrators,” Prof. Luz Ilagan, of the Gabriela Women’s Party List said.

“We urge the CHR to fast track its investigation regarding this case as it highlights the prevalence of a policy within the organization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines against the basic rights of the children, especially those in highly militarized areas,” Ilagan said.

Buya is the latest victim of children casualties in the hands of the military while in the course of counter-insurgency campaign. She is the 59th children killed by the military the past years, Gabriela said. (Mindanao Examiner)