Indigenous peoples' (IP) rights activists Job David, Peter Del Monte Jr., and Alia Encela were investigating bombings by the 203rd Infantry Brigade (IB) in Oriental Mindoro when they were nabbed by the 4th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA).
The 203rd IB confirmed the detainment of the three activists on September 23 in a statement on Thursday, amid public clamor following ongoing release efforts by Karapatan Southern Tagalog’s (Karapatan ST) humanitarian team. The three were last seen on September 19 in Bongabong town.
However, the team was able to secure a certificate of no pending case from the Pinamalayan and Roxas courts, reporting that no case was filed against the activists, weeks after the abduction.
“Kung na-inquest at may kaso na sila Peter, Job, at Alia, bakit hawak pa rin sila ng [Armed Forces of the Philippines]?” asked the Release Job, Peter, and Alia Network (Release JPA), rebutting the 203rd IB’s statement that the three underwent an inquest before the Department of Justice on September 26.
David, 29, was a former student of UP Diliman (UPD) and is an alumnus of Alay Sining UPD and Artist’s Circle Fraternity. Del Monte, 29, on the other hand, is a former member of the youth mass organization Anakbayan. Encela, 19, was the previous spokesperson of women’s advocacy group Gabriela Youth Cavite.
Brig. Gen. Randolph Cabangbang, commander of the 203rd IB, attempted to justify the illegal detainment of the IP rights activists by claiming they were members of the New People’s Army, a familiar narrative given by military officials upon their capture of activists. It was no more than a month ago when the 70th IB abducted two activists in Bataan, but presented them instead as rebel surrenderees.
“Kaliwa't kanan ang mga sapilitang pagdakip at pagsasampa ng mga gawa-gawang kaso at pamamaslang sa mga katutubo at tagapagtaguyod ng karapatan ng mga katutubo gaya ng ginawa sa [tatlong] IP rights advocates na hanggang ngayon ay wala pa ring katiyakan sa kanilang kaligtasan,” said Jordan Cruz, regional coordinator of Karapatan-NCR, in an interview with Collegian.
The three were abducted after probing into reports of bombings by the 203rd IB in Oriental Mindoro that affected over 14,000 residents—most of whom are small rice and coconut farmers—according to Release JPA.
The military frequently deploys these tactics as part of its counterinsurgency campaign, with residents of the area they bomb becoming collateral damage.
Rural-side shelling incidents have been seen to cause massive residential displacement, civilian casualty, and property damage in not only Oriental Mindoro but also Rizal and Cagayan among other provinces. Cruz also added that these bombings damage the environment where IP in the area reside.
Fellow IP rights activists Mary Joyce Lizada and Arnulfo Aumentado were also investigating the effect of military offensives on residents of Oriental Mindoro when they were detained by the 4th IBPA earlier this year. As of July 12, the two were still in the custody of the military, despite the lack of any clear charges.
Attempts by Karapatan ST’s humanitarian team to prevent a similar outcome for David, Del Monte, and Encela have been, so far, curbed by the Police Regional Office MIMAROPA’s (PRO-MIMAROPA) failure to provide additional information on the detention of the activists. For now, what is only clearly known is that the three are being detained in the 203rd IB’s headquarters in Bansud, Oriental Mindoro.
“The PRO-MIMAROPA, including the 203rd IB, is now gravely responsible for the unjust abduction, detention and filing of trumped-up charges against Job, Peter and Alia, and will be rightly made accountable,” said Release JPA. ●
