"Tell your army troops to pull out of Lacub, Abra!" Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan demanded to Sec. Teresita Ging Deles as the group staged a protest action in front of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). "Instead of perpetrating rights violations against the residents of Lacub, Abra and continue in violating international humanitarian law, the Aquino government should resume the peace talks with the National Democratic Front," Palabay said.
"Tell your army troops to pull out of Lacub, Abra!" Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan demanded to Sec. Teresita Ging Deles as the group staged a protest action in front of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). "Instead of perpetrating rights violations against the residents of Lacub, Abra and continue in violating international humanitarian law, the Aquino government should resume the peace talks with the National Democratic Front," Palabay said.
After the September 4 and 5 military operations of 41st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) which resulted in the death of seven members of the New People’s Army, two civilians, Engr. Fidela Salvador and Noel Viste, were also killed. "The 41st IB soldiers were reported to have used residents of Lacub Poblacion as human shields while the locals were retrieving the body of killed NPA Ricardo Reyes," Palabay said. According to reports, soldiers are still in Brgy. Guinguinabang, Lacub and still holding a detachment within the community.
"Even in times of war, rights of civilians, and even those members of conflicting parties, should be observed. That is why international humanitarian law is in place. This is reiterated in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) which the Philippine government is party of," Palabay said.
Autopsy reports of Recca Noelle Monte, 33 year old woman NPA fighter killed during the September 4 and 5 military operations revealed that she sustained no gunshot wound but her skull was like a "crushed eggshell." Other autopsy reports also revealed signs of torture, mutilation, cruel or degrading treatment other than gunshot wounds.
Palabay added that the same military unit was also responsible for the military operations on October 10, 2011, which resulted to the death of eight members of the NPA in Tineg, Abra. The bodies of the eight individuals were desecrated, and there were strong indications of inhumane treatment and that most who died were not given quarter or were not spared, when they were already in no position to defend themselves.
The 41st IBPA is also responsible for the massacre of members of the Ligiw family in Baay-Licuan, Abra. On March 7, 2014, the bodies of local residents Eddie Ligiw, his sons Freddie and Licuben were found pile up in a shallow grave near the victims’ pacalso (“hut”), all were bound, gagged and were in fetal positions. The Ligiws were farmers and small-scale miners in the area.
On September 13, Army Chief Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri gave awards and citations to soldiers of the 41st IBPA, citing the unit’s contribution for the success of the AFP’s Oplan Bayanihan.
“BS Aquino and the AFP certainly have this distorted sense of justice and respect for human rights by rewarding this massacre battalion with awards, instead of holding them accountable for human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law. How swift they are in pouring praises for this notorious battalion, when they have not moved an inch in looking into the complaints of relatives of the victims and have not heeded the call of the people of Abra to pull out these soldiers from their communities,” Palabay said.
As of this writing, the AFP operations continue in Lacub and nearby municipalities, seriously affecting agricultural production and small-scale mining activities, resulting to effects on the people’s livelihood and food source, CHRA reported.
“The people, even the children of Lacub have suffered enough from the military operations. AFP operations in Abra under Oplan Bayanihan should stop immediately and the 41st IBPA and all military units involved in the said operations should be pulled out and prosecuted,” Palabay said.
Karapatan was joined by church and people’s organizations in the protest action at OPAPP. A national solidarity mission of human rights and peace advocates also concluded today in Abra.###