Kilabalita October 21 2014 RURAL MISSIONARIES OF THE PHILIPPINES HITS ILLEGAL ARREST OF ITS LUMAD LEARNING CENTER’S CHIEF AGRICULTURIST. The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) strongly condemned the arbitrary and illegal arrest of its staff Dominiciano Dioning Muya last October 16, 2014 by members of the AFP-10th ID, CIDG/PNP in Barangay Mankilam, Tagum City. Muya, a BS in Agriculture major is soil science graduate of University of Southern Mindanao, is currently the chief agriculturist of Salugpungan Ta’tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center. The AFP accused Muya as a top ranking NPA leader who has a Php 4.8 million bounty on his head. The AFP also included Muya in trumped up charges such as the murder case of two police officers in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur and another murder case of a soldier in Baganga, Davao Oriental. During the press conference, 10th ID Chief Educardo Ano alleged that they got a .45 pistol and grenade when they arrested Muya. “Muya is not a member of the NPA but an agriculturist whom we employed to ensure the sustainability of food, environment and livelihood for indigenous communities that have requested for our school. This was the statement of Sr. Marisol Garduno Huertas, member of the coordinating body of RMP Southern Mindanao, who vehemently denied all of AFPs trumped up charges against Muya. Sr. Huertas stressed that “Mr. Muya was not only deprived of his legal rights while being arrested but was also robbed of the money (PhP40, 000) and personal belongings he was carrying at that time. Meanwhile, the Save our Schools Network hit the illegal arrest of Muya. According to Professor Myfel Paluga, all the violations, harassment and abuses are part and parcel of the sustained government campaign against our schools and communities. Paluga recalled the political struggle of lumad communities against intensified military operations that caused massive displacement and forced evacuation of Talaingod Manobo last April 2014. According to Ronnie Garcia, Basic Education head of Salugpongan Ta’tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, since its founding in 2007, it had undergone several harassments from the elements of 60th Infantry Battalion-AFP , by encamping and settling in the schools, accusing the teachers as NPAs, interrogating and conducting psychological warfare tactics to the learners, teachers, administrators and the residents of the community, violating and ransacking their houses, destroying their classrooms and teachers cottage, and directly accusing that the schools are owned by communist.” The worst incident happened in 2010 and the past school year 2013-2014 when the military destroyed and ransacked the schools in Sitio KM 30 and sitio Tibucag in Brgy Dagohoy. At that time, one volunteer teacher and nine students went through extreme interrogation for 2 hours. The military forcibly took their pictures and searched their belongings. The Salugpongan Ta’tanu Igkanogon learning Center, Inc. has been providing educational services for the indigenous people of southern Mindanao for the past eight years. These are the schools that provide free education for the Manobo youth of Talaingod. Garcia added that apart from red-tagging, the AFP has now been arresting and harassing their personnel who also face trumped up charges. RMP called for the immediate release of Muya and for the AFP to drop all the false charges against him. They also demanded the AFP to return all the money and belongings that they took away from their staff including Muyas dignity and integrity. The family of Muya also expressed concern over his health condition since he was diagnosed with pulmonary disease and hypertension that require immediate and regular medication that has not been provided to him up to now. (Kilab Lingganay Multimedia (Official)media)
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 09:14:58 +0000
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