Adequate, but can still be improved

CHEERS TO the media for giving voice to the plight of Lumad communities whose members have been the victims of killings by paramilitary groups and alleged military elements in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao—although the coverage could have been better by providing the context in which the killings occurred.

On the morning of September 1, 2015, members of the Magahat-Bagani paramilitary group allegedly murdered Dionel Campos, community leader and chairman of the Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang Sa Sumusunod (MAPASU); his cousin Aurelio Sinzo; and Emerito Samarca, executive director of the award-winning tribal school, the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV)

Campos and Sinzo were killed in front of ALCADEV teachers and students, reports said, while Samarca was found dead in the school’s premises—stabbed, his throat slit, and his hands and feet tied.

The crime has since been attributed to suspected members of the Magahat-Bagani paramilitary group and alleged elements of the 36^th and 75^th Infantry Battalions of the military.

InterAksyon and the Philippine Daily Inquirer were the most consistent in reporting the incident, giving readers an insight into the spate of human rights violations the Lumad (non-Muslim indigenous people) have been experiencing due to the militarization of their lands and communities.

In addition to extensive reports on the recent killings in Surigao del Sur, InterAksyon also published a report illustrating the magnitude of the Lumad crisis. (“BY THE NUMBERS | The Surigao del Sur lumad crisis,” InterAksyon, September 10, 2015).

The Inquirer, on the other hand, attempted to connect the incident to the protection of ancestral lands and human rights violations. (“Lumad in gold-rich Mindanao targeted,” Inquirer.net, September 7, 2015)

GMA-7’s Saksi and GMA News TV’s News to Go also aired reports regarding the issue. Aside from discussing the recent killings (“Pagpatay sa tatlong lumad, iniimbestigahan ng CHR at pinasisiyasat din sa PNP,” Saksi, September 8, 2015), it also looked back to previous violent and harassment incidents, and provided a general idea on the operation and structure of the Magahat-Bagani group. (“Gov. Pimentel: Mga Lumad leader, pinatay sa harap mismo ng mga residente,” GMA News Online, September 9, 2015)

Meanwhile, an interview with Jonathan Adaci, director of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in News to Go on September 9 provided a discussion on the causes of conflict in indigenous communities such as mining operations and the establishment of hydroelectric power plants. Adaci cited a provision of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, and discussed how such operations must be conducted in coordination with indigenous peoples. (“Kalagayan ng mga indigenous peoples sa bansa,” GMA News Online, September 9, 2015)

Rappler, for its part, gave an in-depth look into the effects of militarization on the Lumad. “Lumad: Caught in the middle of a war,” attempted to establish and explain the connection between the military’s claim of strong New People’s Army (NPA) presence and influence in Lumad communities and the rise of paramilitary groups, which have been implicated in many cases of harassment and violence against them. (“Lumad: Caught in the middle of a war,” Rappler, September 10, 2015)

Also notable were the reports by alternative media organizations Bulatlat.com and Pinoy Weekly, which offered readers an opportunity to see the Lumad issue from a different perspective. Context and other information sometimes not found in the mainstream media were provided in their reports.

(See  “Alcadev: Lumad school under the gun,”  Bulatlat.com; “Ang bagong mundong umuusbong sa Han-ayan,”  and “Pagbakwit ng lumad sa Lianga—noon at ngayon,”  PinoyWeekly.org)

In reports presenting the side of the Lumad,  diverse sources ranging from the indigenous people’s group Kahugpungn sa mga Lumad-CARAGA (KASALU); National Alliance of Indigenous Peoples Organization in the Philippines; Kalumaran, a confederation of different tribes in Mindanao; human rights watch group Karapatan’s regional chapters in CARAGA and Northern Mindanao; Benedictine nun Sister Stella Matutina who works with the Lumad and other marginalized communities in Mindanao; Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel; Council for Health and Development executive director Dr. Eleanor A. Jara; Commissioner Leah Armamento of the Commission on Human Rights; as well as accounts from the members of the Lumad communities affected were quoted.

But several military officials were also cited, such as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hernando Iriberri, AFP deputy chief of staff for operations Brigadier General Angelito De Leon, AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, 402^nd Brigade Cmdr. Col. Isidro Purisima, and 4^th Infantry Division Cmdr. Maj. General Oscar Lactao.

However, the responses by the latter sources were usually unsubstantial and mere denials of allegations that military elements were involved in the harassment and human rights violations committed against the lumad communities, as well as their connection to the Magahat-Bagani, not to mention their insistence that they were dealing with people sympathetic to, or  members of the New People’s Army.

The reportage on the issue has given voice to and helped empower the Lumad communities, a minority group often marginalized in the media. It has also revealed other possible stories that the media could pursue in later reports, such as the mining issues in the mineral-rich areas in Lumad lands. This angle was mentioned only in passing in some reports, and was not discussed adequately. This could prove to be a big story if reported on properly, complete with sufficient information and proper context.

Earlier reports about the so-called “Pangantucan-5” in Bukidnon, whom military spokespersons and sources vehemently insist were not massacred but were instead casualties during a clash with the NPA, could also be pursued by the media in later reports. The incident, although equally heinous as the ALCADEV killings, did not receive sustained coverage. (See “Lumads accuse military of massacre of 5 civilians in Bukidnon,” August 25, 2015; and “More HR violations unraveled in ‘Pangantucan 5’ massacre than initially reported,” September 10, 2015, InterAksyon.com)