Photojournalist Boy Bagwis, on May 13 to 15, joined the national fact-finding and humanitarian mission to investigate the displacement of more than a thousand Manobos in Talaingod, Davao del Norte due to heavy military presence and intimidation. The Talaingod Manobos, according to anthropologists, are one of the least accessible (to lowlanders) indigenous groups in Mindanao, […]
Photojournalist Boy Bagwis, on May 13 to 15, joined the national fact-finding and humanitarian mission to investigate the displacement of more than a thousand Manobos in Talaingod, Davao del Norte due to heavy military presence and intimidation. The Talaingod Manobos, according to anthropologists, are one of the least accessible (to lowlanders) indigenous groups in Mindanao, and have been among the most vigilant and organized in preserving their indigenous culture and defending their ancestral domain from foreign intrusion and exploitation. During the mid-90s, Talaingod Manobos successfully drove away one of the biggest logging companies in Mindanao that threatened Talaingod and Pantaron Range, one of the few remaining virgin rainforests in the country. This indigenous community, with some help from indigenous rights advocates and people’s organizations, has developed its own local economy, maintaining communal farms and mechanized milling, among others. The mission was conducted a week after more than a thousand Manobos returned to Talaingod after the military agreed to withdraw from their communities.
Matapos ang halos tatlong araw na paghahanap sa mga kampo ng militar sa Gitnang Luzon, inanusiyo ng Karapatan Central Luzon nitong Mar. 28 na natagpuan na ang dalawang dinukot.
“Nagsisinungaling ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa totoong sitwasyon ng mga komunidad at sa miserableng kabiguan nito sa pagtalima sa pangako nito sa international community,” ani Karapatan legal counsel Ma. Sol Taule.
Ayon sa National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, maiging naglagay ang Korte Suprema ng ilang safeguard at legal remedies, pero hindi kayang lunasan ng procedural rules ang kuwestiyonableng karakter ng batas.
Araw ng paniningil sa mga dumaraming paglabag ng administrasyong Marcos-Duterte sa mga karapatang pantao ng mamamayan ang paggunita sa ika-75 taon ng Universal Declaration of Human Rights nitong Dis. 10.