Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Karapatan wants pullout of military in Baganga
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Human rights group in Southern Mindanao has urged local government officials in Davao Oriental to order an immediate pull out of military troops in Baganga town.
This, to secure the return of thousands of evacuees who fled from their villages when military intensified their operations against communist insurgents since January this year.
In a letter, the Davao City-based Karapatan Southern Mindanao has also urged Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon to ensure that the evacuees from Baganga town could resume their day-to-day activities in their villages without fear of being subjected to harm and abuses from government troops.
Also, the group has proposed the creation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team that will look into alleged human rights violations committed against villagers from Campawan, San Victor, and other areas in Baganga town.
The group has also demanded for an immediate protection and proper indemnification of the victims.
Reports from Karapatan said at least four villagers from Baganga town suspected to be members of the New Peoples Army (NPA) operating in Davao Oriental were arrested without warrants by elements of the Army's 67th Infantry Battalion from January 24 to 31.
The group identified one of the victims as Alan Katubig who was allegedly snatched by the Army at sitio Borboanan, Barangay Campawan on January 24 and used as guide when the soldiers conducted pursuit operations against the NPAs. He was released three days later.
On January 31, the group identified a certain Nomer Katipunan who was snatched at gunpoint by government troops while he was taking a rest inside his house at sitio Bagumbayan, Barangay Campawan. Katipunan was accused of being a member of the NPA.
Five days later, two villagers identified as Julius Gonzales of Barangay Lambajon and Tonio Orpanel of Barangay Cog were forcibly taken from their homes. Orpanel was released the next day, Karapatan said.
"The victims are in still in state of trauma after what they went through while in the hands of the military," the group said.
The group said after the fact-finding mission, cases of illegal arrest and detention would be filed against the Army's 67th IB.
