By Edgar Cadagat

The secretary-general of the Alliance for the Advancement of Human Rights in Negros Occ. should now challenge the military to similarly apologize and give justice to victims of human rights violations and their families, instead of riding on the Brgy. Salamanca, Toboso town incident where three civilians were killed with several more wounded in a mistaken ambush by an NPA unit.

Karapatan Secretary-General Fred Caña, yesterday said the military must emulate the example of the rebels who accepted their error and who promised to indemnify families of those killed.

On the other hand, said Caña, the military has made every effort to cover up for their misdeeds including the Panubigan strafing incident of atoning for their costly mistake, but which the military filed charges against the victims, adding insult to injury.

Another serious case was the torture of a farmer in Sipalay City some years ago, or indemnification came from the military which kept on denying they had something to do with the misdeed.

The human rights worker further challenged 303rd Brigade Spokesperson Maj. Nathaniel Villasor to act like a disciplined military officer and not continuously malign the human rights group, and desist from red-baiting tactics, for example, demonizing him and Karapatan as an NPA rebel and a front of the rebels, respectively.

Heated exchanges between the military and human rights advocates on various issues related to human rights advocacy are healthy, but has been relegated to psychological warfare, Caña charged.

Villasor could act as a soldier, asking them to spare civilians in the armed conflict, pitting them and mainly rebels of the revolutionary movement in Negros Occidental.

Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) chairperson IFI priest, Fr. Romeo Tagud said it was positive that the NPAs accepted their mistake in the Salamanca ambush, while on the contrary, the military has consistently denied their participation in many cases of human rights violations in Negros Island.

One cannot be forgiven if he does not own up to his sins, said Tagud. The NPA, on the other hand, said Tagud admitted their lapses and promised to discipline those who committed this grievous mistake, added the IFI priest.

Tagud also urged the full resumption of peace talks and the reactivation of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC), so that cases related to human rights violations and the International Humanitarian Laws (IHLs) could be investigated by the GRP and NDF joint panel could be acted upon.

In his report on human rights violations in Northern Negros, Bernardito Patigas, the human rights group’s secretary-general, said Toboso was a hotbed of counter-insurgency activities, with Brgy. Salamanca, Toboso town village head, Eriberto Baynosa, responsible for unabated killings and civil rights violations in the area.

One major infringement on the villagers’ civil rights is the passage of a village council resolution which imposes a 6p.m. to 4a.m. curfew.

Upon entering the road leading into Brgy. Salamanca, all visitors including peddlers are stopped and frisked by Police Auxiliary Unit (PAU), members. This is a violation of the freedom of movement that the citizens are being made to bear.*