Soldiers of the 80th IBPA demand the names of mission delegates. (Peoples Rising for Climate Justice photo)
The military and suspected government intelligence agents hounded delegates of an international solidarity mission on its second day in various locations in Southern Tagalog.
Local and international delegates of the “Grounding Solidarity: A Learning and Solidarity Mission to Communities Affected by Climate Injustice and Militarism” reported various forms of surveillance and harassment in Tanay, Rizal and Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro.
In Tanay, the mission reported being confronted by soldiers of the 80th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army who demanded the names of the delegates.
Former ACT Teachers Partylist representative France Castro faced the soldiers and, citing the data privacy law, denied supplying the names of fellow delegates.
Six soldiers however stationed themselves after the confrontation mere 20 meters away from where mission delegates were staying.
Sharanya Nayak of the Indigenous People’s Land, Life & Knowledge Collective said their mission was simply a part of a learning exchange to look into the impacts of the climate crisis on indigenous peoples’ communities.
She said there was absolutely no need for the Philippine Army to be following them.
“Why are they here? Who and what are they protecting? Why are they photographing us without our consent?” Nayak asked.
In Mindoro, intelligence personnel were seen taking pictures and videos of the community of mission campsite in Sitio Malatabako, Abra de Ilog.
“[A] drone appears to be monitoring and tracking their movements. The incident occurred at around 7:50 a.m. on October 13 while the delegates were preparing their breakfast,” the organizers reported.
Later, as the mission accompanied 32 Mangyan-Iraya to their Court trial in Abra de Ilog, personnel of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) – MIMAROPA and the police tried to stop them from reaching the town center.
The Mangyan-Iraya are facing charges of trespassing, usurpation/occupation of real rights and property, and malicious mischief because of their opposition to land grabbing activities.
The surveillance of the two mission sites came two days after the participants faced harassment from state elements reportedly linked to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict on October 11.
“Despite these acts of surveillance and intimidation, the local community stood in solidarity with the mission delegates,” the organizers added.
Other mission sites in Eastern Samar and Negros Island proceeded with no untoward incident, they said. (Raymund B. Villanueva | Kodao Productions)
