Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
  Southern Mindanao Region
Maa Rd. Davao City / fa_dc@yahoo. com
Press Release
April 18, 2008
 
 
Reference:
Celso Pojas,  KMP – SMR Spokesperson
09109385368
 
Fermin Ballos
Chairperson - New Bataan Farmers Association (NEBFA)
 
 
FARMERS DENOUNCES MILITARIZATION IN COMVAL PROVINCE
 
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas- Southern Mindanao Region (KMP-SMR) denounces the massive military operations being conducted by military elements of 28th Infantry Battalion, 67th IB and other operating troops under 101st Brigade commanded by Brigadier General Carlos Holganza in towns of New Bataan and Compostela in Compostela Valley which has now caused various human rights violations such as forcible evacuation, intimidation and harassments, food blockade, military encampment within civilian populace, destruction and divestment of properties of peasant and lumad families.
 
Baranggays such as Taytayan, Manurigao, Mapao , Sarmiento, Andap, Bongloy, Bantakan, Kalamukan, Pagsabangan in New Bataan, Brgys panansalan, Nursery Mambusao, Spurdos, Putingbato in Compostela were gravely affected by the said military operations.
 
Base on the reports from New Bataan Farmers Association (NEBFA) and Compostela Farmers Association (CFA), the massive deployment of military troops and the on-going counter-insurgency operations which started last April 5, 2008 have sown terror among the local residents of New Bataan and Compostela in COMVAL Province since military troops are encamping in their homes, gym and schools in town centers. "We demand the immediate pull out of these bloodthirsty military elements from the COMVAL province which perpetrated various human rights abuses against hapless farmers,” KMP-SMR Spokesperson Celso Pojas said.
 
According to the reports reaching KMP, during these military encampment and combat operations, farm animals were divested and slaughtered; trees, plants and abaca were cut down during the clearing of the area for the military helicopter to land. The local residents in Compostela also protested that military soldiers in full battle gear and high powered weapons were sleeping and staying in their houses and schools and they were being prevented to buy supplies of food especially rice.
 
NEBFA statement confirmed that last April 11, 2008 at least 50 families from various Sitios in Brgy. Manurigao have already evacuated to Poblacion in New Bataan and stayed in the terminal and some of them stayed with their relatives.
 
According to NEBFA Chair Fermin Ballos, “the situation has become so unbearable that out of profound fear, residents left their farms and homes and trooped to other baranggays. Others opted to stay in the terminal to evade the abusive military soldiers.  We demand military troops to stop targeting civilian populace in the course of their military operations and to immediately pull-out from civilian populated areas.”
 
The statement further said that members of NEBFA and CFA are alarmed by the recent atrocity. The leaders feared that their people are not safe from the abuses of the government soldiers. The incidents, particularly the destruction and divestments of properties, harassment, intimidation and grave threats, have since disrupted their communities; particularly their livelihood, production and the children’s learning activities.
 
NEBFA and CFA also condemned the on-going militarization which they attribute to their strong opposition against the large-scale mining, Jathropa and Palm Oil plantations that has yet again threatened to intrude their area.
  
"We are urging the COMVAL LGU leaders and provincial officials as well as concerned government agencies to immediately stop the on-going militarization, investigate, prosecute the abusive military soldiers who are accountable for the atrocities happening in the area, indemnify and bring justice to the human rights violation victims," Pojas concluded.## #