DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 9, 2012) – A Philippine environmental group Panalipdan Mindanao urged the Congress to look into the killings of 32 environment advocates and indigenous peoples in Mindanao since President Benigno Aquino presidency in 2010.
Panalipdan convener Sr. Stella Matutina presented this issue during the Committee Hearing of House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights held in Davao City’s Mindanao Training Resource Center.
She said among those killed were Italian missionary Fausto Tentorio in Arakan, North Cotabato; Blaan Juvy Kafeon in the boundaries of Tampakan, South Cotabato and Kiblawan, Davao del Sur; Matigsalug barangay captain Jimmy Liguyon of San Fernando, Bukidnon; small-scale miner Manrique Santos from Pantukan, Compostela Valley; Banwaon Jenesis Ambason from San Luis, Agusan del Sur.
She also noted that 24 of the victims were “Lumad leaders who have been defending their ancestral domains from land grabbing and encroachments.”
Matutina said the killings show the “far too obvious reality that large-scale mining kills, and its twin face is militarization of communities.”
She also noted that militarization of indigenous communities have displaced 1,000 families and disrupted community learning schools thereby affecting children.
Matutina said these violations are frequent as Mindanao holds half of the country’s mineral wealth estimated at $12.6 billion, and has attracted the world’s biggest extractive industry players – BHP Billiton, Xstrata, Anglo-American, Sumitomo, Rio Tinto, Unocal, Exxon-Mobile which have applied for open-pit mining operations here.
She said the killings belie the Aquino government’s rhetoric of “peace and development” through Oplan Bayanihan. Human right violations “have become unmasked to mean unhampered aggression of mining and other extractive and destructive industry. Peace and development means silencing communities to pave the way for mining and other environmentally plunderous projects and operations.”
Panalipdan urged Congress to take to task the chain of command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and Aquino “under the principle of command responsibility, to be accountable for all extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations for which its personnel and units have been accused of being the perpetrators.”
The group recommended to the House committee on human rights the prosecution of erring and criminal state security forces embroiled in cases of human rights violations. And effect the review and rescinding of the Internal Peace and Security Plan Oplan Bayanihan that has allowed the continuation of the regime of extrajudicial killings, enforced evacuations and other attacks.
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