Malacanang (OPPAP) - In keeping with President Benigno Aquino III’s guideline to ensure that the voices of all stakeholders in the Mindanao peace process be heard, members of the government panel for talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been conducting dialogues in different parts of the south in the last three months.
The consultations, which are part of the government’s thrust for a more inclusive, democratic and transparent process, were held in Lanao del Norte, Marawi, Iligan and Cotabato.
These were led by government panel chair Dean Marvic Leonen together with members prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer and Upi Vice Mayor Ramon Piang.
In Iligan, Mayor Lawrence Cruz welcomed the consultations by presenting a symbolic key to Leonen
.
“We are all for peace. Iligan City supports all efforts for peace to come to this country,” he said.
The consultations were likewise welcomed in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte wherein the all-women team of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPS) Civilian Protection Component (CPC) was being launched on the same day.
Kauswagan was among the site of hostilities following the breakdown of talks on the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) in 2008.
Lanao del Norte Gov. Mohammad Khalid Dimaporo expressed willingness to cooperate with the government.
“I have rallied the municipal mayors of Lanao del Norte to support the peace process. It is my vision for Lanao del Norte to experience peace and order that would surely be brought by the peace process,” he stated.
In Marawi, city officials conveyed their support for the peace process and their confidence in Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles.
They lauded Deles for her in-depth knowledge of the peace process, her sincerity for the attainment of peace, and her hard work through years of research and ground work.
The delegation also included Director Iona Jalijali, head of the panel secretariat; and members of the government panel legal team.
SIBAGAT, Agusan del Sur- Manobo tribal ritual called “Pangapog” and “Madong Hadang Singwe” practiced since time immemorial by Philippine Manobo tribes to settle clan conflict finally ended two years of bloody conflict between Mabandos and Behing clans.
According to Manobo spiritual leader Baylan Datu Katipunan who conducted the rites, Pangapog means calling of tribal spirits, the Gods and the angels to come and intervene in settling tribal conflict.
While “Madong Hadang Singwe” is an old Manobo offering of animals such as native or wild pigs and chickens for the tribal spirits in order for them to come and help settle peace.
The two warring clans were actually the ruling Manobo clans living within more than 60,000 hectares of ancestral lands in this town whose land area reaches as far as Surigao del Sur.
The Philippine Government through the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) issued in year 2001 Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title now known as CADT 093 to the Wawa Sectoral Tribal Council where the Behings and Mabandos belonged and acknowledged leaders.
“Because of problems of utilization of natural resources within their ancestral lands, animosity started between the Mabandos and Behings”, NCIP deputy regional director for Caraga region Elvira Catuburan told newsmen who attended the tribal rites.
Official government records show, the clan conflict already cost lives of CADT 093 principal holder Manobo Datu Luzvimindo Behing who is leader of the Behing clan and his brother, Datu Leandro “Andot” Behing who is successor of Datu Luzvimindo Behing.
The two were murdered in 2008 and 2009, respectively, shot dead by unidentified
gunmen.
Authorities until now have not identified the Behing Brothers’ killers or gunmen and
masterminds in the brutal slay of the two Manobo tribal chieftains.
At the time of his death, Datu Luzvimindo Behing was Barangay Captain of Padi-ay,
Sibagat, Agusan del Sur and Sibagat Municipal Councilor. Elected as Association
of Barangay Captains (ABC) of Sibagat town, Behing automatically earned a
Municipal Council seat
The late Councilor Behing was shot in broad daylight infront Sibagat Municipal Hall after emerging from the town council session.
In 2009, his successor brother, Datu Andot Behing was shot dead also in br6ad daylight infront a Philippine Army Headquarter in Barangay Bancasi , Butuan City .
Andot Behing emerged from a meeting with military officials where Behing asked security augmentation and about 30 meters away after he boarded his single motorcycle with acompanion-driver, gunman aboard shot Behing dead.
In October 2009, seven DENR-Caraga personnel were abducted by armed men at DENR-LGU checkpoint in Barangay Anticala, Butuan City which is within CADT 093 ancestral area. Abducted DENR men were later released after two days of negotiations headed by the church, local officials, military and the police.
The abduction, according to police report, was caused by forest resources infighting among the tribes engaged in Community-Based Forest Managementsome DENR personnel over conflict of ancestral rights and DENR laws.
According to Catuburan, after the twin killings and the abduction, intense animosities
that resulted to sometime armed conflict between two warring clans ensued that resulted to wounding, hurting of many others and unrecorded deaths.
Scalawag Military and PNP, some politicians, moneyed illegal loggers provided tribes will
loose firearms?
Rumors and reliable sources who intensely monitoring activities and situation of the tribes all over Caraga region said problem hounding the Mabandos-Behing clans were similar problems hounding indigenous people all over the Caraga, today’s mining capital in Asia.
Caraga region is also being touted as the “Timber Capital” of the Philippines but environmentalist groups claimed that with onslaught of 108 mining and logging firms all over Caraga region not including those who engaged in small-scale mining, Caraga is “timber-capital no more.
Sources suspected some scalawag military and police personnel backed up by illegal loggers and miners some of them were rich traders financing logging and mining activities were the ones providing firearms and ammunitions.
Other sources of firearms were allegedly coming from individual cops and soldiers gone AWOL while some firearms and ammunitions sneaked in from Danao in Cebu allegedly entered the region from seaports like Lipata Port in Surigao and few others.
Reliable sources claimed because Caraga region is richly endowed by natural and forest resources, “Divide and Rule Tactics” among tribal groups has always been the “game plan” to gain solid control over resources richly found in ancestral lands.
The sources continued, “And because government institutions who are supposed to regulate logging and mining activities including small-scale mining were allegedly corrupt and weak, the agenda to protect environment and implementation of correct mining and logging methodologies had been absolutely sidelined”
.
Environmental groups also blamed “money politics’ further caused degradation of environment in the Caraga region saying corrupted money solicited by politicians from whether legitimate or illegal mining and logging helped fund massive vote buying spree in the region.
They alleged nearly 75% of Caraga politicians were backed up or financed by logging and mining money.
Agreement for Peace
Following Manobo tribal traditions and customs to settle conflict after historic meeting for the first time between warring Mabandos-Behing clans last October 21, 2010 in the presence of Manobo Tribal Council and NCIP officials, finally agreed to formally sign peace pact
They scheduled it November 16 to be held at Sibagat Municipal Gym to be attended by public, government and tribal officials, military and the police.
The peace agreement in full view of more than one hundred people who witnessed at the Sibagat Gym yesterday was signed by Manobo Tribal chieftains, Datu Julius Mabandos representing Mabandos clan and Datu Crisaldo Behing, son-heir apparent of late datu Luzvimindo Behing.
The historic meeting including the formal agreement signing was facilitated by various local and national government agencies particularly the NCIP with the help or assistance from International Labour Organization or ILO Indigenous People’s Development Programme or IPDP CARAGA.
Some highlights or content of the eight pages agreement signed were starting November 16, 2010, all 16 Community-based Forest Management Agreements initiated by the DENR were obligated to respect lumad traditions and laws particularly the Indigenous People’s Right Act of IPRA law therefore obligated to provide funds to serve as Trust Funds for community development of the triincidents and claimed said incidents were caused by intrigues and that Julius Mabandos was never responsible in the killings of the two Behing fallen leaders.
Three, no logging trucks particularly SKW haulers will never be allowed to enter, haul logs inside ancestral lands especially if there are no clear, legitimate local and foreign investors, no proper not recycled DENR permits and transport documents and if there are investors, they must help build roads and provide community development projects to the tribes.
Fourth, proper delineation of areas owned by clans within ancestral domain must be properly implemented.
And all conflict, issues that may arise in the future such as claims in the area by another Manobo clans, it is the Manobo tribes through their customs and traditions that will solely solve it.
COTABATO CITY -- Details of the chainsaw massacre allegedly perpetrated by senior members of the Ampatuan clan were made public by a report of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW).The report, entitled "They Own the People: The Ampatuans, State-Backed Militias, and Killings in Southern Philippines," was released on November 16, in time for the commemoration of the November 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre that left 57 people dead.
In its 97-page special report, the HRW divulged how more than 100 people were said to have been massacred by the Ampatuans in 2002 as retaliation for the December 24, 2002 death of Saudi Ampatuan and 17 others and the wounding of 11 other supporters in a bombing incident in Datu Piang town.
The late Saudi Ampatuan is said to be Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr.'s favorite son."A local resident and a community leader who was close to the Ampatuan family at this time, each estimated that in response to the bombing, the Ampatuans killed more than 100 people. The local resident told Human Rights Watch, 'Any person they suspect, they kill,'" stated the report.
Witness Suwaib Upahm said in his sworn statement that he witnessed "senior Ampatuan family members and their men kill more than 20 people during the day following the bombing, on a mountain near the Shariff Aguak capitol building".
"[The Ampatuans' men] abducted [men,] women, old and young children in Datu Piang. Then, after they were all abducted, they were taken [in] a truck [and brought to Shariff Aguak].... When they arrived ... their hands were tied up and then afterwards they were chain-sawed ... We were watching because ... when they arrived in Shariff Aguak, [an Ampatuan family member] announced to the public ... that he was going to kill them all... It was [this Ampatuan] himself who killed them and chainsaw[ed] them... [Then he] said, 'Everybody leave this place now we are going to bury these people,'" Upahm said.
A community leader who was close to the Ampatuan family at this time, "Zain" (not his real name) also said that many people were killed by senior members of the Ampatuan family, who "used chainsaw, bladed weapon, samurai [sword], and backhoe".He told HRW that he witnessed the trusted men of a senior member of the Ampatuan family torture people with the chainsaw.Until 2009, the Ampatuans reportedly continued abducting and killing people they suspect to have an involvement in the 2002 Datu Piang bombing.On May 18, 2009, armed men abducted Dok Guiamalon, Abdulnur Mangkiang, and Tong Baman."The three were abducted from Sitio Dagutem, Barangay Nabalawag in Midsayap, North Cotabato province by military and Cafgus travelling in 40th Infantry Brigade (IB) military trucks. The next day, after being tortured, Abdulnur Mangkiang and Tong Baman were returned to barangay Nabalawag. Dok Guiamalon has not been seen since," the HRW report stated.
The rumor about the senior Ampatuan's penchant for using chainsaw in killing their enemies had been going around the mill for years now.
No less than Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte admitted to having heard gruesome stories about it, but said he just dismissed them as there are no evidences to support such.Senior military officers who have been assigned in Central Mindanao in the past also admitted to hearing such tale but said that not one found any evidence to prove it.
Aside from the chainsaw massacre in relation to the 2002 Datu Piang bombing, the Ampatuans were also implicated in several other unsolved killings since the 1970s when Andal Sr. first entered politics.Several residents of Maguindanao alleged that since the late 1980s, the Ampatuans gained commercial power by using threats and unlawful force to acquire land."Hassan," a former resident of Shariff Aguak who said he was once close with Ampatuan Sr., told HRW that "he would give the landowner two options: allow him to buy the land for 10,000 pesos (US$220) or choose the bullet."It was, however, after the Ampatuan family gained significant power when Ampatuan Sr. was elected governor of Maguindanao in 2001 that several atrocities were reported to have been committed by the Ampatuans."They reigned terror not only in Maguindanao but in all other areas they happen to be at," the HRW report said.In Davao City, Dabawenyo Carlo Asistido was killed during a brawl with then-18-year-old Mohammad Bahnarin Ampatuan, grandson of Andal Sr., in The Venue, an entertainment spot in Davao City.The young Ampatuan was charged with murder in court but was eventually released after the victim's kin decided to withdraw the case. Rumor has it that the Ampatuans paid the Asistidos a hefty amount in exchange for their disinterest in pursuing the murder charge.
Aside from the killings, the Ampatuans were also said to have perpetrated violence against girls and women. "Several persons, including Ampatuan insiders, described cases in which senior Ampatuan family members and their militia have been responsible for the abduction and sexual assault of women and girls. An Ampatuan militia member, a police officer, and several witnesses described seeing militiamen abduct several women and girls, whom they later learned had been sexually assaulted or passed on to a senior Ampatuan family member who sexually assaulted them," the report added.
According to the HRW, insiders also alleged that senior Ampatuan family members sexually assaulted women they targeted and household staff.Speaking of senior Ampatuan family members, police officer "Nabeel" said that "if they like the lady, they will abduct [her and] take [her] to Shariff Aguak [the main Apatuan residence]."
He said that sometimes "it is just rape, other times, they are kept as wives, and other times they are killed... Those who are released are too afraid to report the crime to anyone."
The Ampatuans are also known to have paid millions of pesos to popular young actresses in exchange for a one-night-stand.
The HRW listed about 28 cases involving the Ampatuans as the group called for action from the government.The group called on President Benigno Aquino III to issue an executive order banning all paramilitary and militia forces because of their long and continuing history of serious human rights violations.
HRW also called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to systematically disarm all paramilitary and militia forces, end all private funding of such groups, and implement their staged reduction and disbandment.
It said an independent, accessible, and properly funded witness protection program must also be created.
Congress is also being urged to pass a law to prevent local government officials from using the selection or dismissal of police chiefs in their jurisdiction for private purposes, require that reasons be provided for the selection, and mandate local government officials to disclose any relationship or affiliation with proposed candidates.
Several members of the Ampatuan clan are facing multiple murder charges in relation to the November 23 Maguindanao massacre. Only 30 percent, however, of the almost 200 people involved in the massacre were arrested by the authorities.
The case is believed to drag for months, if not years, considering the huge money the Ampatuans are spending to allegedly buy out or liquidate the prime witnesses against them.
Manila, Nov. 10 – President Benigno Aquino III on Monday has ordered the transfer of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) from the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) back to the Office of the President (OP).
Aquino signed Executive Order No. 11, returning the IP body back under his office to “ensure concerted efforts in formulation and implementing policies, programs and projects geared towards the protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples.”
The NCIP, by virtue of Republic Act No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), was created as an independent agency under OP as the primary government agency that will formulate and implement policies, plans and programs to promote and protect the rights and well-being of IP communities and recognize their ancestral domain as well as their rights.
It was first lodged under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) through Executive Order No. 364 and later on under the DENR through Executive Order No. 726, both under the previous administration.
“There is an urgent need to clearly define the administrative attachment of the NCIP in keeping with the legislative intent, address the needs and aspirations of the Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples with regards to their rights and welfare by the highest officials of the land, and ensure consistency in policies, programs, project coordination and implementation,” the EO stated.
The President likewise designated Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles as oversight official of the NCIP, and appointed two commissioners who are seasoned peace and IP rights advocates.
The commissioners are Zenaida Brigida Hamada-Pawid, representing Region I and the Cordilleras, and Dionesia Banua, standing for the island groups including Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon, Panay and the rest of Visayas.
It can be recalled that Aquino signed Executive Order No. 2 last July 30, which identifies as ‘midnight appointees’ officials appointed by the President on or after March 11, 2010; appointed prior to March 11 but took their oaths and assumed office after the date; or designated during a 45-day ban under the Omnibus Election Code.
Following the issuance, six out of seven commissioners of the NCIP were affected since they were appointed on March 5 and 8, 2010.
In their letter dated August 9, 2010, the six commissioners – Atty. Noel K. Felongco, Miguel Sia Apostol, Francisca B. Rosquita, Rizalino “Langley” Segundo, Dr. Ronald Adamat and Amalia Apang, appealed to the President to exempt them and some employees from the implementation of EO No. 2.
The letter indicated that all six were appointed before March 11 and took oath after the date.
On Deles’ designation as cabinet oversight official, Pawid said that the peace adviser is a fit choice because among the cabinet members, she is the only one with the qualifications to perform the oversight functions for the NCIP.
“She can articulate and fight for the policies and programs for the IPs because she has worked on IP issues since the National Unification Commission (NUC) days,” she stated.
Being cabinet oversight for NCIP is also not new to Deles having acted in that capacity from 2001 to 2003 while holding the post of National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) head. It was during this time that Deles co-vice chaired with Ret. Gen. Rene de Villa the Task Force 63, a quick response mechanism created by virtue of EO No. 63 to address emergency situations of IPs.
By virtue of law, NCIP was created without a cabinet position rank. Thus, a cabinet oversight was usually assigned to give it a voice in the cabinet.
“The work of the NCIP and OPAPP actually complements each other considering that most IPs are living in conflict-affected areas,” Pawid added.
