NDFP condemns unabated killings of children by Aquino Regime

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The collusion between the Aquino regime and foreign mining companies in the plunder of the country’s mineral resources, destruction of the environment, the killings of Lumad tribal leaders, and forced evacuation of indigenous communities is well proven by this incident.

PRESS STATEMENT
Special Office for the Protection of Children
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
25 October 2012

NDFP condemns unabated killings of children by Aquino Regime

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) strongly condemns the Benigno Aquino regime for the unabated killings of children in pursuit of its anti-national and anti-people US-dictated policy of neoliberal globalization, complemented by the US-designed counter-insurgency plan, Oplan Bayanihan.

This was again demonstrated in the massacre of the family of Daguil Capion on 18 October 2012 in Barangay (village) Kimlawis, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur, which killed his pregnant wife, Juvi; two children, Jorge or Pap, 13 years old, and Jan-Jan, seven years old; and wounded another, Becky, five years old.

The killings were perpetrated by soldiers of the 27^th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army (PA) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under Lt. Col. Noel Alexis Bravo.

Daguil Capion is a B’laan tribal leader. He and Juvi are members of Kalgad, a Lumad organization militantly opposed to the mining operations of Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI), a multinational company with huge investments from Xstrata Plc, a Swiss company based in the United Kingdom, and Indophil Resources, an Australian company.

A few days later, while Becky and another child, Ressa Piang, 11 years old, surviving witnesses to the massacre, were on their way to meet with Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez in Marbel, South Cotabato, they were intercepted by a certain Josephine Malid of Tribal Foundation, an SMI supported NGO, and brought instead in a vehicle owned by SMI to the office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur. It is reported that the two children have finally been transferred to the Social Action Center of Marbel Archdiocese after protests by the children’s grandmother.

The collusion between the Aquino regime and foreign mining companies in the plunder of the country’s mineral resources, destruction of the environment, the killings of Lumad tribal leaders, and forced evacuation of indigenous communities from their ancestral lands, which victimizes both adults and children alike, is well proven by the above incident.

In Bukidnon, they have even put up a so-called New Indigenous People’s Army for Reform (NIPAR) headed by a certain Butsoy Salusad, a paramilitary group affiliated with the Civilian Active Auxiliary (CAA) of the 8^th Infantry Battalion, PA, AFP. NIPAR has been responsible for the killing of several Lumad leaders, the forced evacuation of indigenous communities, and the hostage-taking since 7 October 2012 of the wife and four children (aged 9, 6, 4 and nine months) of Sitoy Manlus-ag, purportedly to persuade him and his family to return to their village and support the “good works” of the mining, logging and plantation operations of foreign and comprador companies in Bukidnon.

The NDFP holds the Aquino regime responsible for the unabated killing of children in the course of violating the social, economic and cultural rights of the people. This puppet, brutal, corrupt and mendacious regime shall soon be exposed for what it really is, aside from being a big violator of the rights of children.

For the National Democratic Front of the Philippines:

Ms. CONI K. LEDESMA, Head
Special Office for the Protection of Children

Approved by:
NDFP Negotiating Panel
NDFP Human Rights Committee