On this picture taken on Might 16, 2024, Philippine fishermen aboard their picket boat catch fish in South China Sea. (Photograph by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
MASINLOC, Zambales – An official of the Fee on Human Rights (CHR) has confirmed that the company will examine the federal government troops’ alleged harassment of fishermen right here.
In a telephone interview on Friday, Jason Carmona, particular investigator of CHR Regional Workplace 3, stated he despatched an electronic mail to Pamalakaya Nationwide Chairperson Fernando Hicap in order that the company “can provoke probing [the] allegations of red-tagging.”
On June 22, Hicap filed a grievance addressed to CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc for an instantaneous investigation into the sequence of alleged intimidation perpetrated by the Philippine Military’s 69th Infantry Battalion (IB) in opposition to members of Panatag.
Panatag is a gaggle of native fishermen and a Pamalakaya-affiliated group on this city that joined the collective fishing expedition to claim the nation’s sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“We hope that the progress of the investigation may also be swift, resulting in competent motion in opposition to the confirmed parts of the 69th IB concerned within the violation,” Hicap stated in a separate telephone interview.
Pamalakaya stated on June 1, a workers sergeant from the 69th IB visited Julius Ecijan, the president of Panatag, and requested him in regards to the collective fishing expedition and different details about their group, Pamalakaya, and their whereabouts.
On June 12, the workers sergeant returned to the group however failed to speak to the native chief as a result of the latter was out at sea. The military official spoke with different members of the native affiliation and requested them the identical questions on their group and Pamalakaya. The members additionally reported that the military was exhibiting them images of a few of Pamalakaya organizers, whom the military accused of being recruiters for the New Individuals’s Military (NPA), Pamalakaya stated.
The following day, the military officer went to the homes of those that joined the fishing expedition to ask them the identical questions, the group added.
Hicap stated the grounds for holding these accountable for red-tagging are actually even stronger due to the Supreme Court docket’s current choice in opposition to it.
“We additionally encourage human rights advocates to sentence the AFP for turning their braveness to Filipino fishermen whereas colluding with the international usurpers of our territory,” he added in Filipino.
On June 18, Lt. Col. Sonny Dungca, commander of the 69th IB, stated they’d conduct additional investigation to verify if the incidents have been true, including that there could also be different entities “which might be simply utilizing this case to use these locals and even dragging our unit.”
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Dungca additionally stated the 69th IB and the fishermen have the identical goal: to protect the integrity of the nation’s territory and to guard the Filipino folks.
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