Press Release
September 3, 2014
Military is sowing threats, bloodbath –
militant groups
Davao
City—Militant groups under Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and progressive
partylists disputed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) after the
military conducted a forum against militant organization in one of the
universities in the city.
The
forum attended by several students in Ateneo De Davao University (ADDU) by
certain Cap. Nathaniel Morales branded the militants and some of its prominent
members as ‘NPAs’ and
maliciously linked them to armed group.
The
militant groups viewed this as a threat to their security and their members.
Sheena
Duazo, Bayan Spokesperson said, “This frantic move of the AFP only exposes
their institution as illogical, fascist and desperate in attacking us.”
“Why
are they barking on us? Why are they panicking and spreading lies if they are
confident in their platform to end insurgency? I challenge them to talk about
issues on land reform, national industrialization, systemic corruption in the
government, pork barrel system or simply discuss about anti-VAWC law instead of
propagating old lies.” Duazo said.
Duazon
stressed that “the AFP has many things to explain to the public because as a
public institution, we are the ones paying them. They must remember not to use
our taxes to violate our rights.”
Karapatan,
one of the organizations linked by Captain Nathaniel Morales to NPAs during the
forum, revealed that the AFP will always be coward in facing the truth that
their troops have been isolated by the people because of their gross abuse and
human rights violations.
Karapatan
scored the AFP’s
forced recruitment of lumads to join the notorious Alamara, a paramilitary
group that recently harassed and barred a fact-finding mission team in Kapalong,
Davao del Norte.
Karapatan
Secretary General Hanimay Suazo said, “they will not allow us to conduct the
fact-finding-mission in the area because they do not want the truth to come up.
They want to cover-up the abuses done by the military. And now they want us to
be silent, they want us to disappear like what they did to thousands of
activists and their families.”
The
militant group, in a press conference, bathed themselves with fake blood to
symbolize how the military would want to see them silent and dead.
The
bloodbath challenge is patterned to the infamous ice bucket challenge. But this
time, according to the group, “it challenges the AFP and the Aquino government to
stop the militarization in the communities, prosecute all perpetrators of extra
judicial killings, address the root cause of armed conflict and resume peace
talks now! ###
For
reference:
Sheena Duazo
Secretary General, BAYAN-SMR
Hanimay Suazo
Secretary General, KARAPATAN-SMR
