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By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Residents of the Bangilo District Malibcong, Abra condemned the 503rd Brigade and 41st Infantry Battallion of the Philippine Army airstrike conducted last May 31 and belied military claims that the bomb fell 500 meters away from the community residential area as they demand for appropriate punishment of erring army troopers and officers.

In an emailed statement, affected residents of Barangays Umnap, Lat-ey and Buanao composing the Bangilo District of Malicong condemned the airstrike and decried the statement of 503rd Brigade Commander General Hernando DCA Iriberri in his radio interview that the bomb landed some 500 meters away from residential area.

“We the indigenous people of Malibcong, Abra, particularly from the Bangilo district (Barangays Umnap, Buanao ken Lat-ey), strongly condemns the indiscriminate bombing that happened Friday, May 31, 2013, that fell on the Pugo Rice field within Barangay Lat-ey at arounf 9:05 in the morning,” the statement said in Iloco.

The said statement, signed by the officials of the said barangays disclosed that the bomb landed and exploded on the Pugo ricefield in Barangay Lat-ey at around 9:05AM, May 31. It exploded some 40 meters away from the hut of Matilde Sacgragon traumatizing two minors, one 14 and the other 17, who were gathering bisukol (edible snail) at the rice field.

The agamang (rice granary) of Ponciano Culangan was come 60 meters away while Rommel Teneza was plowing his rice field some 120 meters away from the explosion.

The statement further disclosed that the bomb explosion was 170 meters away from the Power House of the community hydro-power. The barangay officials themselves took the measurements.

According to the statement, the residents of the same communities particularly the older folks were traumatized by the explosions of the bombs dropped and staffing in 2010 adding that they have learned from their past experience that it is but right for them to fight for their rights and seek justice.

“Our painful but rich experiences in 2010 where we, particularly the older folks were traumatized from indiscriminate bombings, staffing and gunfire, the legitimate process of expressing our complaints over these recent bombings gave strengthened our resolve to assert out rights to seek justice,” the statement said in Iloco.

Moreover, the statement specified that the 503rd Brigade and 41st IB of the army violated Article 2, Number 15 of Part III and Article 4, Number 4 of Part IV of the Comprehensive Agreement for the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), as agreed between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

Article 2, Number 15, Part III of CARHRIHL provides for “the right not to be subjected to forced evacuation, food and other forms of economic blockades and indiscriminate bombings, shellings, strafing, gunfire and the use of landmines.”

“Civilian populations and civilians shall be treated as such and shall be distinguished from combatants and, together with their property, shall not be the object of attack. They shall likewise be protected against indiscriminate aerial bombardment, strafing, artillery fire, mortar fire, arson, bulldozing and other similar forms of destroying lives and property, from the use of explosives as well as the stockpiling near or in their midst, and the use of chemical and biological weapons,” states Article 4, Number 4, Part IV of CARHRIHL.

As expressed in the said statement, the affected residents demand that erring army soldiers and officers involved in the airstrike be punished and be meted out with proper disciplinary actions for violating the CARHRIHL provisions.

The residents also claimed that there was no encounter between the army and the NPA when the airstrike was launched adding that no NPA fighter ever stayed in their community. # nordis.net