| Subject: | PRESS RELEASE: The world should be worried about the Marcos government bombing its own people– Global Indigenous Peoples organization |
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| Date: | Thu, 23 Mar 2023 18:07:15 +0800 |
| From: | Romeo Jara <romeo.jara@ipmsdl.org> |
The world should be worried about the Marcos government bombing its own people– Global Indigenous Peoples organization
PRESS RELEASE March 22, 2023 Reference: Romeo Jara, Communications Officer, International IPMSDL
The International IPMSDL (International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation) raised its concern on the unceasing attacks waged by the Marcos government against communities in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera, largely peasant and indigenous regions in North Luzon. In the last two years, up to now, military operations continue to hound peasant and Indigenous communities in the area.
“The intense military situation in North Luzon in the Philippines is beyond inhumane. The Marcos government is taking action as if it is at war with unarmed civilians, farming communities, Indigenous Peoples, students, and families.” says Beverly Longid, Global Coordinator of the International IPMSDL. February this year, communities in Cagayan have reported aerial bombings, while in Kalinga in the Cordilleras, incidents were noted to have taken place just this month, targeting Indigenous communities. The series of violence has led to the disturbance of economic activity in the communities, with people hesitant to return to farming, as they fear for their lives.
While violence continues to persist in the North, projects such as mega-dams and mining activities by foreign corporations are being fast-tracked. Further aggravating the situation is the United States Military seeking to conduct combat military training in Northern Luzon. A sight too common among many Indigenous and farming communities, wherein the state uses brute force to wipe out locals, expel them from their land, and eventually take these lands in the name of profit and foreign control over our land.
The International IPMSDL vowed to exhaust all possible means in their capacity as an international network of Indigenous Peoples to further drumbeat the call for accountability. At the moment, media institutions and human rights organizations are having a hard time going to the affected communities because of the high volume of deployed military forces in the communities, which has caused a media blackout in the area.
“We know that the Philippine government is trying its hardest to block out all information on these incidents, a tactic also employed by Marcos Jr’s dictator father. We, the global movement of Indigenous Peoples, would like to send a message to the government; we know what is happening in the Philippines, and we will remain vigilant. Beyond expressing solidarity with Filipino Indigenous Peoples, we will commit to take action and participate in seeking justice for these atrocities” Longid states.#