Press Release
September 20, 2015
WHITE CULAMAN BRGY. CAPTAIN THREATS TO CLOSE IP SCHOOL INSTIGATED BY MILITARY--SAGIPP
Kitaotao, Bukidnon – Barangay captain Felipe Cabugnason of White Culaman, Kitaotao, Bukidnon wants to close a charity school established by late Italian priest Fr. Fausto Tentorio, accusing it as an NPA school. This was revealed during a fact-finding mission held last week in the area led by Solidarity Action Group for Indigenous Peoples and Peasants.
A humanitarian and peace mission was conducted in Brgy. White Culaman on September 16-18, to validate and document the reported human rights violations perpetrated by elements of 8th and 23rd IBPA of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and to provide psychosocial intervention among traumatized children.
The mission was initiated after military ransacked 57 households in Brgy. White Culaman and illegally arrested 17 civilians, all are members and leaders of Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Brgy. White Culaman (NAMABAW) and Kahugpongan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Kitaotao (KMK), on August 26.
On August 27, military forces airlifted victims of illegal arrest while some were left in the community to do chores for the military staying in the barangay hall of White Culaman.
Secretary General of Promotion of Church People’s Response-North Cotabato (PCPR-NC), Rev. Mary Joy Mirasol said “On August 22, the military with the help of Brgy. Captain Cabugnason, entered and encamped the community, since then the entire area is under strict military control. There is an undeclared martial law, worse than the time of Marcos.”
The mission team, with more than 300 delegates, was blocked twice and prevented to enter the Brgy. White Culaman proper by members of the military and Barangay Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) on September 17.
“The military led the CVO to block the other side of the river towards the barangay proper. They were armed with sticks and bolos. We came back by afternoon to try to convince Brgy. Captain Cabugnason that we were there to check on the residents’ welfare but only four of us were allowed to enter for a dialogue,” Rev. Mirasol added.
The negotiating team was composed of women leaders including two pastors, a lumad leader from Bukidnon and school administrator from Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation, Inc. (MISFI) which runs the school in Sitio Dao.
“During the dialogue, military surrounds the barangay hall. Instead of addressing the human rights violations and military encampment being reported by his constituents, captain Cabugnason calls for the closure of MISFI school in Sitio Dao, accused it of being a school for the NPA”, Rev. Mirasol said.
The charity school is now serving 51 lumad pupils. On August 26, military forces indiscriminately fired at students and teachers of Fr. Fausto Tentorio Memorial School in Sitio Dao. Barangay authorities and the military burned school supplies and threatened that they will burn down the MISFI school if they will continue to operate.
Community education program coordinator of MISFI, Milagros Maglunsod-Tan, who was also in the dialogue, said “Brgy. Captain Cabugnason chorused with the AFP’s twisted line to close IP schools, clearly there is connivance. It is absurd to close a school that serves poor lumad and peasant children who are in the first place deprived by the government for an accessible education for a long time.”
“Captain Cabugnason must thank local people’s organizations and support groups, they fill the government’s lack to provide education in far-flung areas like White Culaman. Instead they harassed the community leaders, teachers and students.” Tan added.
“One of the military men even said during the dialogue “Gahi kaayo mo og ulo, pero humok mo og liog” (You are hard headed, but your neck are soft), they threatened to kill us if we won’t follow their order to close the school,” Tan lamented.
School administrators filed a blotter at the National Police station in Kitaotao town of Bukidnon on the threat of Brgy. Captain Cabugnason and the military.
A mission report on the documented human rights violation in the area is set to be released. While the local government unit of municipality of Kitaotao plans to conduct a dialogue with the military and Cabugnason.
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