Distorting the truth about IDPs
JEERS TO the Manila Bulletin for failing to verify a press statement that gravely misrepresented the position of a UN official.
In its August 8 story, âEastmincom welcomes UN rapporteurâs reportâ, the Bulletin said that the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) is appreciative of the initial findings of United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) Chaloka Beyani, who was in the country from June 21 to 31 to assess the situation of IDPs in different regions of the Philippines.
Beyani included in his visit the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Haran compound in Davao City where around 700 Lumad evacuees have been housed for several months now afterreported militarization and forced recruitment to paramilitary groups became rampant in their communities.
However, Eastmincom Commander Lt. General Aurelio Baladad said that Beyani may have noted the âmanipulationâ of the indigenous peoples (IPs) in the compound. The Bulletin report quoted an Eastmincom media release which included a statement allegedly made by Beyani during an exit briefing  in Camp Aguinaldo: âWhen we asked them about the circumstances in which why they left their areas they say they were at risked at force recruitment into Alamara and the movements to that area was in protest in relation to the presence of Alamara, so they wanted to make a point that that was what happened. But I have been there for some time, I think they got manipulated.â
This press release was used by the Bulletin and a few other media organizations such as Remate and Sunstar Davao in their reports, but no proof of Beyaniâs supposed statement was provided. This attribution also contradicted Beyaniâs official end-of-mission statement, uploaded in the UN website, which only said that Beyani was concerned by the plight of the Lumad in the UCCP Haran compound but never mentioned anything about these displaced personsâ being manipulated.
Beyaniâs media liaison Graham Fox already replied to journalists seeking clarification on the veracity of the statement supposedly made in the exit briefing, saying that the press release and exit statement made by Beyani represent the official findings and insight of the Special Rapporteur regarding his visit in Davao. Fox also added: âI do not recognize the quotes attributed to Mr. Beyani by the AFP in your email attached. I also note that the Special Rapporteur was explicit in his discussions with the AFP representatives on multiple occasions that the persons concerned should under no circumstances be considered to fall into the category of trafficked persons.â
Beyani has also issued a statement of clarification through the UN Information Center in Manila, in which he said, âThe indigenous peoples whom I interviewed informed me that they relocated to this facility freely and in response to the militarization of their lands and territories and forced recruitment into paramilitary groups operating under the auspices of the AFP. My reference to their being âmanipulatedâ related to the attempt to forcibly move them out of the UCCP facility without proper and adequate consultation with them.â
Eastmincom’s spokesperson Col. Eduardo Gubat has already resigned and apologized for the issuance of the press release, but he said that the Eastmincom âmaintains that Dr. Beyani in his exit briefing described that the Indigenous People in Haran are manipulated.â
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