TABUK, Kalinga (August 25)—Peace advocates in this province launched the Kalinga Peace Advocates in a forum on August 25 themed A Gathering for Peace: What is Happening in Kalinga? at the Roman Catholic Social Action Center in Bulanao. The gathering was a result of the Kalinga people’s growing outrage against the spate of summary killings in the province, the most recent of which included the ambush of the Claver family on July 31.

In a Unity Statement, the Kalinga Peace Advocates denounced the “all out war state policy of the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo regime against political dissent of any sort, targeting even the legal and unarmed groups like the Bayan Muna partylist”. The alliance went on to condemn the government’s Oplan Bantay Laya, and its justification of the collateral damage it entails in its drive to defeat the “enemy”.

“Under the Oplan Bantay Laya of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Makoy and Alyce are now added into the growing number of progressives and militants who have fallen under the sword of the state. The government has defined them as part of the “collateral damage” in their drive to defeat “the enemy”. Yet these people are like the prophets of our age. Aren’t they the ones who have deeper perceptions of the ills that plague this nation, and propose alternative ways towards meaningful change?”, the statement read.

The Kalinga Peace Advocates specifically called for the removal of Col. Pedro Ramos as Provincial Director of the PNP, and from the PNP roster itself. Full and honest investigation was also demanded regarding the growing number of human rights violations and summary killings in the province.

The PNP and the Armed Forces were called on to uphold due process in its dealings with alleged criminals, and to uphold to the truest sense their mandate to serve and protect the people of Kalinga.

Kalinga tribes, meanwhile, were called on to unite and say no to tribal war, as a step towards working for peace in the province.

Former Kalinga congressman and founding chair of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance Atty. William “Billy” Claver challenged the audience to continue rise against the terror sown in province through the government’s Oplan Bantay Laya in an inspirational message. The staunch human rights advocate also called on the Philippine National Police for speedy and impartial investigation of assassination of Alyce Claver and Markus Bangit.

An overview of the national and regional human rights situation was presented by Atty. Rene Cortes of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA), who was also the guest speaker at the forum.

The forum, attended from some 130 professionals, students, peasants, Church workers, and members of peoples organizations was organized by the Cordillera Peoples Alliance-Kalinga chapter, the Kalinga Apayao Religious Sector Association (KARSA), the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Luzon-Kalinga, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Roman Catholic Social Action Center, the International Association for Transformation, the Kalinga Medical Society, Anakbayan, and individuals from the province’s business sector. # AT Bengwayan