By ROGER M. BALANZA
LAND NOT BULLETS. This is the message on the hat of farmer leader Celso Pojas during the peasant month press conference in October last year. Celso Pojas, former secretary-general of the Farmers’ Association of Davao City and spokesman of the KMP in Southern Mindanao, was gunned down today, the first militant leader assassinated in Davao City.
Pojas was shot dead this morning in Davao City, two days after leading a protest against displacement of tribal people and farmers by military in Compostela Valley province.
Pojas of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) was shot dead around 7:30 pm outside his house by two gunmen who fled on a motorcycle. Pojas was on his way back to Compostela Valley when ambushed.
The killing happened a day after a fuming mad, Compostela Valley Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy lashed at militant groups who picketed the Capitol on Wednesday protesting human rights violations against indigenous people and farmers in the ongoing military operations against the communist New Peoples Army.
They should go to the Commission on Human Rights, said Uy, as hundreds of protesters led by the human rights group Karapatan and the farmers association Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (KMP) urged a stop to the military operations in the towns of New Bataan and Compostela displaced farmers.
Uy lamented the militant groups played up the plight of farmers who fled their farms to avoid crossfire, at the capitol grounds when he has already set into motion emergency relief operations to house and feed the displaced farmers.
Uy said he himself had asked the military to stop the operations and sympathized with the farmers. They should lodge their complaint at the Commission on Human Rights not at the capitol, he said.
Col. Allan Luga, commanding officer of the 1001st Army Brigade, said 3 communist rebels have been killed in sporadic battles that started on Monday.
Uy said while he supports the military campaign against the NPA, his heart bled at those who are forced to leave their farms. Uy is coordinating with the mayors of New Bataan and Compostela to provide food and shelter to the farmers which numbered more than 100.
The problem with the militant groups is that they are injecting too much drama in this sad incident. I am on their side and they should not abuse my kindness with that misplaced picket at the capitol grounds, he said.
Filed under: Human Rights, Karapatan, afp, ancestral domain, human rights violations, lumad | Tagged: NPA, compostela valley, Karapatan, human rights violations, indigenous people, military operations, governor arturo uy
It is very unfortunate that local chief executives do not know where to place themselves in the conflict between the government and the communist party of the Philippines. They see the conflict as exclusive for the AFP and NPA to finish and chose to play neutral in a conflict that threatens the very position they are holding, the government to where they belong, and the people they serve. The civilian government should be in the front line advocating peace and resolving the conflict between the fighting groups.