AFTER two years, progressive groups are still clamoring for justice over the massacre of the New Bataan Five.
On Saturday morning, February 24, 2024, at Freedom Park, Roxas Avenue, Davao City, Anakbayan Southern Mindanao (ASM) and other progressive groups organized a candle-lighting activity to commemorate the second death anniversary of Lumad school teachers Chad Booc and Gelejurain Ngoho Jr., community health worker Elegyn Balonga, and drivers Tirso Añar and Robert Aragon.
Beverly Gofredo, spokesperson of ASM, told the media that they will persistently seek justice for the families of the New Bataan Five and all victims of the massacre.
She said that there has been no legal action against the perpetrators of the massacre, and they are in the process of discussing with Booc's family the filing of a case against the 25th Infantry Battalion.
“Pero isa sa amoang matabang sa biktima sa massacre mao ang pagpasidungog sa ilaha, pagkampanya para sa ilaha sa kadalanan. Pagpahibalo sa katawhan kung unsa pod ang ilang bili isip usa ka indibidwal, magtutudlo, nanalipod sa tawhanong katungod, nanalipod sa yutang kabilin, ug nanalipod sa katungod sa mga lumad (But one way we can assist the victims of the massacre is by paying tribute to them, advocating for them in the streets. It involves informing people about their worth as individuals, educators, defenders of human rights, guardians of ancestral domains, and protectors of the indigenous people),” she said.
Mawing Pangadas, one of Ngoho Jr.'s students, said that Ngoho Jr. enlightened them about their rights as a teacher, and he is participating in the activity because he too seeks justice for the death of his teachers.
“Dako kaayong hagit sa amoa nga magpadayun sa ilang nasugdan tungod kay sakit sa amoang buot nga mawala sila, nga sila ang hinungdan nga makakat-on me mga Lumad (It's a significant challenge for us to carry on with what they initiated because it still pains our hearts to lose them. They are the reason why we, children from indigenous communities, have the opportunity to learn,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rose Hayahay said that as co-workers of both Booc and Ngoho, they are dedicated in their line of work.
Despite the challenges they face, they remain patient with the students and continue their passion for teaching.
She said the situation in that area poses difficulties, including language barriers, cultural differences, lack of electricity, no signal, and a considerable distance to travel.
Nevertheless, they, like Chad and Jurain, persevered.
They believe that everyone deserves access to education, especially considering the isolation and deprivation experienced by the indigenous people in Mindanao.
Hayahay also said that Lumad Bakwit Schools and Save Our School Network are still seeking justice for the deaths of Booc, Ngoho Jr., and other victims of previous massacres involving progressive groups. It is not the first time teachers have fallen victim to such tragic incidents.
The group expressed their determination to hold former President Rodrigo Duterte and current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. accountable for their administrations' human rights violations.
They called for the dissolution of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and demanded justice for the New Bataan Five.
The tragic incident took place on February 24, 2022, when Booc, Ngoho Jr., and Balonga, along with their drivers Añar and Aragon, were en route to Tagum.
They were asked to step out of their vehicle, and on February 25, 2021, their lifeless bodies were recovered by the progressive group from the Mabini Funeral Homes. RGP
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