Group wants resumption of GPH-NDF talks

KIDAPAWAN CITY -Peace advocates and the religious communities in North Cotabato have urged both the Philippine government and the communist guerilla movement to resume their peace talks so as to give justice to all victims of human rights violations in the country. This as the group led by the Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR) started on Monday a three-day fact-finding mission on the alleged military harassments in Kitao-tao, Bukidnon. Joy Mirasol of PCPR-Cotabato said during the mission they monitored at least five cases of human rights violations(HRVs) allegedly perpetrated by elements of the 23rdand 8thInfantry Battalions of the Philippine Army whose headquarters are located in Bukidnon province. Mirasol said these cases included death, illegal arrest, and harassments. Reports from PCPR said that one of the victims identified as Emelio Ruflo, 57, farmer from Barangay Calapaton in Kitao-tao, died after he was allegedly tortured by government soldiers on May 4, 2015. Reports added that a month after Ruflo’s death, a 41-year old Efren Fabe, also from Barangay Calapaton, was arrested for carrying unlicensed guns.Fabe, according to Mirasol, was accused as member of the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) operating in Bukidnon province. In June 11, the PCPR monitored also the killing of a carabao owned by a certain Conchita Lipatwon, 56, of Barangay Segundanon, also in Kitao-tao, after it went wild and injured a soldier.Lipatwon, during the fact-finding mission, told PCPR that she only received some P5,000, instead of P25,000 as agreed, as payment for the death of her carabao. A member of the barangay council and another a village guard have also complained of harassments from the 23rdIB and 8thIB. Joel Ardente, kagawad of Barangay Calapaton, and Antonio Argellon, chief of the Civilian Volunteers’ Organization, also in Barangay Calapaton, told PCPR during the fact-finding mission that members of the Philippine Army have forced them to admit they were members of the NPA. Also, the group, citing as basis the urgent calls of the residents of Barangays Calapaton and Segundanon, both in Kitao-tao, has recommended the pull-out of military installations in Bukidnon. They also want the military to stop its peace and development outreach program activities in Kitao-tao as these, according to Mirasol, only caused ‘confusion’ and ‘conflict’ among the residents. During PDOP, these soldiers would ask residents if they know of somebody or persons in the community who are sympathizers and members of the NPA.Others were wrongly accused so, most of the times, conflicts among the residents would arise,” she said. Mirasol said that copies of the results of their mission would be submitted to the Commission on Human Rights and to the ceasefire committee of the GPH-NDFP panel for appropriate actions.