Soldiers shot dead a woman farmer in Monkayao on Monday, as human rights violations escalate in military operations by the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division in various communities in Compostela Valley.
Reports from Karapatan-Southern Mindanao said that last August 7, 19-year old Rose Em Sayson was shot by soldiers who mistaken her and her companions as members of the New People’s Army.
Soldiers shot dead a woman farmer in Monkayao on Monday, as human rights violations escalate in military operations by the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division in various communities in Compostela Valley.
Reports from Karapatan-Southern Mindanao said that last August 7, 19-year old Rose Em Sayson was shot by soldiers who mistaken her and her companions as members of the New People’s Army.
Sayson’s companions said they were carrying Sayson aboard a truck to a hospital after injuring herself in a fall. Soldiers however chanced on them and fired at them. One of Sayson’s companion was wounded from the incident.
Karapatan said military operations against New People’s Army in recent days has triggered displacements of hundreds of families in the municipalities of Monkayo, Maragusan and New Bataan.
On August 7, soldiers from 69th and 71st infantry battalion launched six aerial bombings in Barangay Parasanon in Maragusan destroying farms and forced farmers to leave the village.
“These incidents only proves that no let up on military operation after President Duterte’s lifting of his unilateral ceasefire and grave human rights violations are escalating,” said Karapatan Southern Mindanao Public Information Officer, Jay Apiag.
Apiag added that the 66th IBPA has been camping in the community of Sitio Pongpong, Brgy. Andap in New Bataan municipality after they clashed with the New People’s Army (NPA) in the nearby hinterlands. They have been doing this even before President Duterte’s declared unilateral ceasefire.
“The military has been staying in the community until now and there are already reported incidents of food blockade, hamletting and harassments affecting 80 families in the said area," said Apiag.
Another village in Purok 4, Kilometer 56, Brgy. Rizal is also being hamletted.
Troops from the 71st Infantry Battallion reportedly made an illegal arrest of a farmer, Ronie Escuardo, 29, from Brgy. Parasanon, Mawab. He was reportedly brought to the headquarters of 10th ID and was misrepresented as a NPA member.
Karapatan issues an appeal to Duterte to act on these attacks on farmer communities.
“KARAPATAN will conduct a fact-finding mission to probe these recent cases of human rights violations, as we urge Pres. Duterte to investigate and hear the sides of the civilian farmers and not the lies and spins of the military," said Apiag.He also urged President Duterte to stop the military operations especially with the resumption of peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front on August 20.
"Duterte must rein in his army who are acting as human rights violators and spoilers of peace and violators of human rights."#