MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on
Friday called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to look deeper in
its investigation into the rescue of indigenous peoples (IP) children in
a Cebu university earlier this week.
“These children, and their parents, have a lot of stories to tell. If they care enough about the best interest of these children, CHR needs to deepen their objective views in their investigation. Pare-pareho naman kami sa CHR at mga pulis nag-aral ng mga prinsipyo, pagmamalasakit,at pagsulong sa karapatan ng mga bata (We, the CHR and the police, are studying principles on compassion and advocating the rights of children),” PNP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said in a message to reporters.
This came as the CHR in Central Visayas released its findings, saying there is no proof that the children were forced to join the communist movement while they are staying at the University of San Carlos (USC) campus in Talamban, Cebu City.
"Indoctrination from the Reds borders on radicalization. CHR should know better. People might begin to wonder again who do they work for in their investigation if, at face value, after going back to their office they would write that kind of assessment without looking closely on the plight of these Lumad children exploited in communist indoctrination," Usana added. “Kung hindi ba mga Lumad children ang na-rescue from this form of child trafficking (If the children who were rescued from this form of child trafficking were not Lumads), would the CHR have the same view that children did not actually fall victims to the manipulation of their recruiters."
Usana, meanwhile, reiterated that the PNP is uncompromising when it comes to upholding the protection and welfare of children.
“Nakakaawa ang mga 19 na batang (Ata) Manobo (The plight of these 19 Ata Manobo children are pitiful) and there have been more children like them who are similarly situated now. Kapakanan po ng mga batang Lumad ang focus po natin dito. Wala po dapat pinagtatalunan pagdating sa karapatan ng mga batang nabibiktima ng pananamantala sa anumang kaparaanan (Our focus here is the welfare of the 19 Lumad children. There should be no disputes when it comes to upholding the rights of children who are being exploited in any way),” he said.
He said a case of human trafficking, among other cases, has been filed by PNP women and children protection investigators.
“Let us allow our the PNP-DSWD authorities to do their work according to what they see is fit for the best interest of the Lumad children,” he noted.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas insisted on the legality of the rescue operation after some groups described as "fake" the rescue operation of the IP minors.
"Anyway, we have filed a case in court. If they have a case to file against us in court, then we will answer it. We will not sign in to media mileage just to say something the PNP is here to assist the family and file a case. We are basing on facts and hindi po (not) hearsay at gawa gawa lang (or made-up stories). We will wait when the time comes. So anyway we do not want to engage in media releases. We will just wait and answer it in the right forum," he told reporters during his visit to Cebu City to meet with the Lumad children and six of their parents on Friday.
A police report said of the 19 rescued IP students, 15 are minors — nine are from Talaingod, Davao del Norte, five from Sultan Kudarat, and one from Zamboanga. Their ages are said to be between 14 and 17 years.
The four others, of Talaingod, Davao del Norte are above 18 years old.
The children were reportedly taken away from their families by teachers of Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanogon without the parents' consent.
Some 55 Salugpungan schools, an alternative learning hub reportedly run by communist groups, were ordered closed by the Department of Education 11 in 2019 due to several violations, including the relocation of students away from their homes without their parents' consent.
DepEd 11 also found out that the teachers of Salugpungan schools do not have the professional license to teach, and operated within the ancestral domain of tribal communities without obtaining the mandatory Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and certification from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
The parents said they were made to sign a paper when their children were taken from them but they did not even understand its content. (PNA)
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