The illegal arrest and torture of four persons belonging to the indigenous people called the Dumagats is a case of military impunity being a double burden to a vulnerable group.

On November 29, 2009, Jun-jun Acleto, Roland Torres, Roland Corpuz, Lolit Agbayani, together with Edwin Buryo, all from Dingalan, Aurora, set out to hunt for nests of a bird named “Layang-layang” so as to obtain income for their family needs. While resting in Barangay Dikapinisan the following day, they were apprehended by soldiers and brought to the latter’s camp. There they were interrogated, threatened and tortured to admit that they were members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and that they knew of the whereabouts of hidden firearms. The Dumagats denied the military accusations. Later, Roland Corpuz, out of fear of being killed, said he was a NPA member and buried some firearms.

On December 2, the Dumagats were accompanied by the military towards Balagbag, a mountain where Roland supposedly buried firearms. On December 3, Lolit Agbayani and Roland Corpuz were able to escape separately from their captors. On December 5, the other three were released by the military.

The violence inflicted by the military in the name of anti-insurgency against a vulnerable group like the Dumagats cuts into their meager income and further erodes their chances of developing themselves as persons. Torture and the cruel treatment perpetrated by the military degrades the dignity that Dumagats already have difficulty in defending due to government neglect and societal discrimination.

Despite the passage of Republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture Law, the Dingalan torture incidence reveal the gaps in the efforts the Armed Forces of the Philippines to make human rights, particularly the non-derogable right of persons not to be tortured, the preferred values of all its officers and men.

It is imperative that the AFP eliminate torture from its ranks. Impunity does not only violate civil and political rights but affects as well economic, social and cultural rights. The sowing of a climate of fear only serves to entrench discrimination against the Dumagats as it makes them easy pawns in the anti-surgency campaign.

PAHRA calls:

PAHRA calls for civilian resolve, including the formation of human rights defenders in all sectors and levels of society, to eliminate torture and to punish perpetrators of torture among the ranks of the AFP. In this way, we progressively obtain justice and dignity for us all.