AMID the ongoing armed conflict in some areas of the country, multi-stakeholders appealed Tuesday to both members of the communist groups and government armed forces to respect the "Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Law (CARHRIL).”
The CARHRIL is the first of the four agreements in a substantive agenda of the formal negotiation between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
The other topics include socio-economic, political and constitutional reforms, end of hostilities and disposition of forces.
The CARHRIL was signed at The Hague in Netherlands on March 16, 1988, and approved on April 10, 1998 by NDFP national council chairperson Mariano Orosa. On August 7, 1998, it was signed by GPH former President Joseph Estrada. It has been violated by both sides, hence.
Supreme Tribal Council for Peace and Development (STCPD) executive secretary Datu Allan Joy Sumanday, during the CARHRIL Multi-stakeholders Summit at Ateneo de Davao University (Addu) on Tuesday, said the indigenous people (IPs) are the most affected of the ongoing armed conflict in far-flung areas.
"We're prone to exploitation. Why? The NPA (New People's Army) are recruiting some of the lumad, the others applied as Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu), and in the end, sila din ang nagpapatayan. The CARHRIL is spending too much money on this but did the problem stop?" Sumanday said.
Sumanday called for assistance from the local government units (LGUs) to address the issue on the security, economic, and education for the IPs, as there are the things the IPs should have amid the continuing armed conflict.
Department of Justice (DOJ)-Davao Prosecutor Antonio Arellano, who was among the participants of the summit, said he does not see any problem about the implementation of the law.
It is how both sides are observing it that creates the problem, he said.
Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines national coordinator Alfredo Ferrariz Lubang, one of the speakers, said human rights violation remains to be one of the big problems of the country because of the ongoing armed conflict.
"On our part, the CARHRIL is an agreement both signed by the GPH and NDFP... this should be respected by both communist groups and government armed forces. It's a sacred document. We understand that there is war going on, pero sana naman maging sensitive enough sila lalo na the communist, sa mga sibilyan," Lubang said.
"Sa nakikita natin may mga violations both parties. The CARHRIL should be their basis, pinirmahan nila yan, so dapat sundin ng partido ang provisions nito. The civilians, whether they are talking to the armed forces or the communist people, should not be target of any human rights violations," Lubang added.
Philippines Army's 10th Infantry Division commander, Major General Ariel Bernardo, in a separate interview, also asked the Communist Party of the Philippines (CP) and NPA to respect the provisions in CARHRIL.
"Kasi on the part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, naka paloob na po yan sa rules of engagement namin. We put highlight on the International Humanitarian Law, that's why we had this Peace and Development Outreach Program. Wala sa amin ang problema," Bernardo said.
Bernardo said it would be better to prioritize the end of hostilities and the disposition of the forces, particularly the CPP/NPA, then focus for the development of the community, so there would be a great endowment while the peace negotiation is ongoing.
"Yung kinalabasan ng summit is the way to end all the issues is to denounce and abandon this armed struggle. We end these hostilities and pursue the peace negotiation and focus on the development -- on what is good for the people," Bernardo said.
Government peace panel member Ednar G. Dayanghirang said the celebration of the CARHRIL speaks of two major concerns -- first, the stakeholders do not want violence anymore, especially if the violence is inflicted by the civilians, and two, the stakeholders want peace and reform.
"What we really don't want is the armed revolution, which is also the agenda of the CPP/NPA, because they do not believe that there is such reform. Pero ito sasabihin ko, reforms could only be achieved through democratic process and not armed struggle," Dayanghirang said.
Despite the violations committed under the law, Dayanghirang said the advocacy of the CARHRIL should be pushed until the ground level, because this is the only document that binds the NDFP/CPP/NPA and GPH despite that the communist does not believe in the government.
At least 230 multi-stakeholders joined the "CARHRIL Multi-stakeholders Summit" spearheaded by the Bantay Bayanihan in affirmation of the collective interest for peace, social justice and the common good, said Addu Center of Psychological Extension and Research Services head and Bantay Bayanihan convenor Dr. Gail Ilagan.
Ilagan said the summit aimed to encourage everybody to take responsibility of the concerns of the society, adding that the authorities, local government units, public and private sectors, and all the civic-society should be functional.