MANILA — The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Region (RMP-NMR) decried the continuing harassment of one of their lay workers in Bukidnon.
On Aug. 8 and Aug. 9, elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) went to an elementary school in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon where the children of human rights advocate Kristin Lim are studying Policemen asked parents waiting outside the school on the whereabouts of Lim.
A few days ago, soldiers of 1st Special Forces Battalion went to Lim’s residence in Damilag, “inviting” her for “questioning” without providing any warrant of arrest.
Lim was the station manager of Radyo Lumad, a project of the RMP-NMR. The radio program has been closed down in January this year due to persistent military harassment.
RMP-NMR said the same tactic was used against their staff Gleceria Balangiao and her mother Gloria Jandayan who were presented as rebel returnees. On Feb. 11, the same military unit invited the two women for questioning. Jandayan was released but not Balangiao, who was forced to sign a document stating she is a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).
RMP-NMR said the harassment of Lim is “clearly the result of red-tagging.” Lim is included in the list of individuals labeled as communists on a flyer distributed by suspected state forces last February 26 in Cagayan de Oro City.
“State forces in Mindanao are intensifying attacks against civilians in Northern Mindanao as Martial Law continues to be in place in the whole island,” RMP-NMR said in its post.
In Bukidnon alone, 12 activists and rights advocates were killed this year.
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