URGENT ALERT!
September 6, 2023
The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance and Katinnulong Daguitin Umili Ti Amianan, Incorporated (Kaduami Northern Luzon)calls out the series of harassment against its staff and partners that has disrupted strategic meetings for the delivery of services to Northern Luzon communities. Since August 30, 2023, KADUAMI Executive Director Leonida Tundagui-Pangket, several staff, and partners from the Cagayan Valley region have experienced intense and brazen surveillance, stalking and harassment from unnamed state agents. As of this writing, suspicious men believed to be state agents have stationed themselves near the residence of Mrs. Tundagui-Pangket in Baguio City despite reports to the barangay, police and to the Commission on Human Rights.
A certain gray Toyota Innova with plate number AXA 7380 has tailed KADUAMI's Executive Director and family. The Toyota Innova was seen again today and has changed plate numbers to HAB 8432 which, upon checking, is a plate number registered to another car make.
KADUAMI is a service institution for poor communities in Northern Luzon for nearly 40 years. It has strived to develop self-reliant communities in severely underdeveloped areas in the Ilocos, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley region. However, the current Marcos and Duterte government hesitate to recognize KADUAMI’s development work and instead use their confidential and intelligence funds to surveil and harass its staff and partners.
The attacks against development workers should be a cause of concern especially in a society where there is an apparent State abandonment of its obligations to deliver social services to the people.
We call out President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and AFP Northern Luzon Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl G. Buca to immediately stop the harassment against KADUAMI and its partners. We call out the armed forces to abide by its mandate to protect the interests of the Filipino people.
We call on our local and international partners, as well as the general public, to stand with us and defend decades of genuine development work in North Luzon.
This is a developing story. #