Press Release
October 1, 2015

Transcript of Ambush Interview after the Lumad Killings Probe

Q: Sir, after hearing yung testimonies, ano yung assessment niyo? Lalo na sa defense ng AFP.

STG: Well, sa ngayon nakikita natin marami nagte-testify na yung tinatawag nilang paramilitary group, tawagin ko nang paramilitary group sapagkat marami ring tumututol na tawaging Bagani kasi dito ngayon iba pala ang ibig sabihin ng Bagani sa kultura ng mga Lumad, at lumalabas na merong nagte-testify na yung mga armado, lalung-lalo na yung mga gumawa ng mga karumal-dumal na pagpatay, e nandito pa sa community ngayon, ngayon as we speak. In fact, ang sinasabi ng military na wala silang alam pero on the other hand naman, to balance it, sinabi ng mga parish priest, andito mismo si Bishop Ochimar, kasama ang mga parish priest, meron talagang parish priest na nagsabi sa iba't ibang lugar nila, na yung taong yun, yung gumawa ng krimen, si Tejero nandun daw sa barangay na yun at saksi mismo yung parish priest.

Dun namna sa isa yung parish priest ang nagsabi meron talagang kampo yungh mga armadong grupo at sinasabi nila ksama yung military. So sa ngayon, maraming nagbabatuhan pa ng mga alegasyon sapagkat if you just heard right now at the end of the hearing, a tribal group spoke that they are naman, marami naman napatay ang NPA sa kanila at naabuso daw sila ng NPA.

Q: Pero sir mukha bang may pagkukulang talaga yung AFP at yung PNP?

STG: Ah bukas maraming pang magtetestigo at sa tingin ko dapat pang pakinggan natin yung iba. Sapagkat yung mga pangyayari, for example yung sinabi ni Bishop na yung isang Lumad na dinala nila sa Manila, ng military e yun pala, wanted for murder dito. Hindi lang suspect for murder talagang identified ng asawwa na member ng, tawagin ko nang armed group no, na dinala nila sa Metro Manila pero ang sabi rebel-returnee daw. So hindi natin masabi pa at kailangan tingnan natin yung mga sasabihin ng mga testigo bukas. Pero one thing is clear, number one, yung military at police, dapat hulihin na yung mga gumawa nito, identified na. More or less trenta silang gumawa pero merong tatlo na leader, identofied, may pangalan at in fact may mga parish priest na nakatira din dito. Until now, they are extorting money from the people and this has to stop. And kung meron mang pagkukulang sa tingin ko dapat gawin nilang step one talaga hulihin yung tatlong yan. At kung hindi nila alam ang military at police kung saan sila, siguro dapat magtanong sila sa paerish priest sapagkat yung mga parish priest ang nagsasabi kung saan nandyan, anomg barangay nila at ano pang ginagawa nilang activities alam ng mga paish priest, so hindi ko alam kung bakit hidni nila mahuli. Dapat step one talaga sa nangyari dito.

Napakasakit. Narinig niyo yung mga kwneto ng mga biktima, nakita niyo yung emosyon, at maraming demands pero ang step one talaga dapat hulihin ng PNP at AFP itong mga kriminal na ito.

Q: May aasahan ba sir na hustisya ang mga biktima?

STG: Yun nga dapat mahuli, kung hndi mahuli ito paano mag-uumpisa ang hustisya?

Q: Is this a test sa AFP Oplan Bayanihan [counter] insurgency, mayroong failure?

STG: Ah, ayoko muna pumunta doon sapagkat what I'd like to do now is just the basic justice. Mayroong armadong grupong pumasok sa isang community, na-terrorize ang community, na-terrorize ang bata, mga babae at meron silang pinatay sa harap ng komunidad. So dapat managot ang dapat managot. At yung dapat managot nandun pa, nandito pa, nandito ngayon sa Surigao habang nagh-hearing tayo andyan sa mga munisipyo. Bakit hindi mahuli, dapat mahuli.

Q: So hindi test for the PNP?

STG: It is a test for the PNP and the AFP to be able to track them down. HJow come other people know where they are.

Q: Ano po ang mabibigay ninyong assurance kay Governor?

STG: Well, you know one of the things with this hearing, I'm sure they will look into it already, look for the persons involved.

Q: Sir, sa tingin niyo po ba nagbubulagbulagan ang military regarding dito po sa Lumad cases?

STG: Ganito yun ano, ah, you draw your conclusions. They say they don't know anything about it but at the same time nakikita natin na yung paris priest nagsasabi kung saan sila, anong barangay nila at anong date sila andun. Sabi nga nung isang parish priest may birthday nung nangyari yung extortion. So kayo na mag-draw ng conclusion dun. Meron pa kaming mga hearing bukas, meron pang magsasalita pero sa mga nakita natin ngayon yun ang mga facts na lumalabas.

Q: Senator, you visited po yung evacuation center, what's your plan dun sa mga evacuees?

STG: Again, balikan natin. Hindi babalik yung mga yan kung alam nila yung mga gumawa ng krimen, yung terrorism, yung murder nandito pa, roaming around freely, extorting people as we talk. I don't expect them to go back to where they live until those three, at least those three, have been captured and brought to justice.

Q: Senator, sa tingin niyp po ba may kakulangan ang national government dun sa cases ng mga nasa evacuation centers? Kasi for example kanina may nakausap po kami na kulang daw po sa sanitation, mga pasilidad, though meron naman pong pagkain pero nahihirapan sila when it comes to natural, for example nauulanan, do you think may pagkukulang ang national government?

STG: I don't think so. Everything is being done naman but you know namna when it comes to evacuation nothing is perfect. Yung sa sanitation ako mismo bumaba dun sa toilets na nakita ko, toilet na dun galing sa Yolanda, dala ng Department of Health dito, mga makeshift toilets sapagkat ako rin nakita ko, 3,000 people ok nasa stadium pwede matulog pero papaano kaya yung banyo nila? So tinitingnan ko, and I think everything is being done naman, of course hindi perfect but I think everyone is doing their best.

Q: May isa akong nainterview na sabi hindi lang daw yung Bagani-Magahat forces ang nasa likod ng itong insidente kasi may kapitalista daw na interisado sa coal at gold deposit dyan sa area kaya hinaharass yung mga Lumads.

STG: I don't think, siguro kung meron man side issue na yan. Nahaluan na yan sapagkat itong issue namang ito e widespread eh. At yung ibang mga lugar hindi naman may mining tsaka hidni yun yung lumilitaw talaga na issue. Ang issue dito nagbabatuhan yung dalawang panig eh, yung kaliwa tska yung kanan. Ah, mabuti na lang mayroong simbahan dito and I don't think the members of the clergy, kasama yung bishop nila, will not tell the truth. They tell the truth.

Q: Sir, ilan dun sa mga nainterview namin sinasabi nila na sinasabi ng mga armadong grupo na umatake sa kanila, kailangan daw na tanggapin nila yung mga programa na pumapasok which is yun nga sabi nila, mining, etc., yung sa gold, so do you think this, this committee will be able to probe. . .

STG: Kailangan respetuhin ang mga ___ or rights ng mga Lumad. Ang Lumad ang may right kung merong pwede pmasok or hindi sa kanilang area para mag-mining. Kung sasabihin nilang hindi, hindi.

Q: How about their demand na i-pull out muna ang troops before they would even go back to their. . .

STG: I don't think it's a matter of pulling out the troops, I think it's a matter of catching those who have done the murder. The murderers are here, they're roaming around. They won't go back, even if you pull out the troops. You won't go back also if you were in their place.

Q: Sir, all of this time kasi the hatred started with blaming and pointing fingers na yung community is supporting NPA and the school is supporting NPA, but since sinabi mo nga the clergy is here, but the unfortunately, yung schools din it has been pointed out supporting NPA was also created by the church, the Diocese of Tandag. So parang may inconsistencies doon.

STG: No, no, no, the testimony is that they are NGOs, in fact, I think tomorrow we'll ask them, from what we found out yung ALCADEV is an NGO supported from Belgium.

Q: But majority ng board of directors of both schools are nuns.

STG: Maybe we should ask them tomorrow because ang natanong lang natin kanina is kung itong dalawa, yung TRIFFPS (not sure about spelling) school tsaka ALCADEV accredited sa DepEd. Sinabi hindi daw.

Q: Senator, what can we expect from the hearing tomorrow? Sino pa po yung iba nating iimbitahan?

STG: Well, some more mayors and I'm sure no, I'm sure, I'd like to give space to the people kasi it's not everyday that the Senate goes to Surigao, so I will have an hour for everyone who wants to speak, just to say their piece.

Q: Sir, what's your psoition dun sa pagtanggi ng Malacanang to invite UN special envoy to investigate the Lumad killings?

STG: I don't think Malacanang did that.

Q: UN offered. . . but as per protocol they have to be invited over. . .

STG: I'd rather look at our institutions here, the Senate is here, the Commission on Human Rights is here, we're all here, I think this is sufficient for the Filipinos to solve their own problems. I think, we should be able to solve our own problems using our own institution, hindi po ba

Q: Sir, earlier you said hidni lang nangyayari sa Surigao and it's happening with the IPs all over.

STG: Base dun sa testigo nung pinakahuling datu. . .

Q: Do you think this is a proxy war with both sides using the IP to fight for them?

STG: Yes, it can also be that way, it can be that way because nagbabatuhan ng alegasyon eh, both sides.

Q: The military having a Bagani as their asset. . .

STG: Wag na natin gamitin yang Bagani kasi ayaw. . .

Q: The indigenous people are being used as an asset against the NPA, where the NPA also has indigenous people as their assets.

STG: Kaya nga, dapta talaga ma-solve natin, alam ko ano eh, malalim ang ugat nito. Pero we can start talaga with the simple basics. Yung mga murderers. Kung kinse nagpatay, kinaan lang manubag sila.

Q: Sir, given wala naman pong full control over yung government over the rebels, over insurgents for example, ano po ba yung pwede nating magawa?

STG: Yun nga, huhulihin yung tatlo.

Q: Apart from that, on the allegation that NPAs are also victimizing. . .

STG: That's later, that's later, but right now let's concentrate on bringing back the 3,000 people having enough confidence to go back to their homes in the mountains, basic lang muna tayo. Let's solve problems step by step.

Q: So you think this is a great opportunity din to raise a campaign to bring back GRP and NDF back to the negotiating table?

STG: Oh yes, definitely. Ah, that's a good point and definitely I will advocate for that. That this hatred and the use of the Lumads, both sides should stop. The exploitation of the Lumads should be stopped by all.

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