A minor’s refusal to join the CAFGU resulted in him being beaten up and threatened by soldiers. And he is not alone in his ordeal.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Leon, 17, (not his real name) should be living a normal life, spending time with his mother, an overseas Filipino worker who has just returned to the country, or with his friends. Sadly, Leon’s life took a downward spin ever since soldiers entered their community.
Since February this year, the military has set up a detachment in barangay (village) Quipo in San Juan, Batangas, purportedly to protect the villagers from possible violence during the May 2010 elections. But they never left. In fact, more soldiers were deployed in the village.
The military, according to Juna Arante of Karapatan – Batangas, is said to be very friendly toward Leon, who they frequently invite to join their drinking sprees. On June 18, soldiers went to Leon’s house in sitio (sub-village) Calabasahan to formally recruit him to the Citizens Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU).
“His parents were worried. They heard that CAFGUs are almost always placed at the frontline during military operations. So it is natural that they did not allow him to join,” Arante told Bulatlat, “Plus, of course, he is still a minor.”
Leon’s refusal, however, was not taken lightly by the military. When Leon joined his childhood friends in an out-of-town-trip organized by the Philippine Air Force, in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas on August 28, Leon accidentally opened the door of a restroom for women at around 9:00 p.m. He was then dragged by three drunken soldiers to the men’s room where he was beaten up.
Arante said the military was merely finding a reason to get back at Leon for refusing their invitation to join the CAFGU. Sergeants Casapao, Casanova and Areta boxed him at the stomach and chest. They also slapped his ears.
The beating only stopped when someone knocked on the door. Leon was threatened by the three Philippine Air Force soldiers not to tell anyone what happened that night or they would kill him and throw him into the sea.
He returned home the following day and never said a word to anyone about what happened. His parents, however, became worried because they often catch him staring blankly. He also complained of body pains and difficulties in hearing.
It took him four days to pull up the courage to tell his uncle what happened. It was his uncle who informed his parents. “If only I was allowed to become a CAFGU, I do not think that this would happen to me,” Arante quoted Leon saying.
Recruitment, Harassment
Leon was not singled out by the military. In fact, most of the minors living in Barangay Quito and its neighboring villages are being recruited by the military to become members of CAFGU. According to Arnold Evangelista of Batangas Integrated Human Rights Advocates, the military offers promises of a big salary, scholarship and groceries to those who would agree to join the CAFGU.
However, Evangelista said soldiers are quick to accuse families who refuse the offer of being supporters of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. This has brought fear among most the residents.
“At dawn, they could sense soldiers walking around their village, doing ‘house-to-house’ visits,” Evangelista said.
Residents no longer want to leave their homes, “which in itself is already a human rights violation because the people could not go about their normal lives,” Evangelista said. He added that anyone who leaves the village are subjected to interrogation by soldiers. Soldiers even inspect grocery bags of residents going to the market.
“Militarization equates to martial law,” Evangelista said.
Displacement, Struggle
On Sept. 27, Leon was brought to a mental institution. His family said he was already exhibiting “violent tendencies.” As of press time, the family has not yet spoken with Leon since he was admitted at the hospital. They are only being given updates on his speedy recovery from the trauma that he had.
His mother, an OFW from Bahrain, has chosen to stay in the country for the time being to attend to the needs of her family, especially because of what his son is going through. They are, however, no longer living in Barangay Quipo to keep the military from further harassing them.
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November 2nd, 2010 at 12:48 pm
This article is very bias. Isn’t it that a journalist should position himself in a place where he can see both sides not just blindly dwelling on one side?
Recruitment process for CAFGU is not as informal as it is depicted on this article. A soldier cannot just visit households without prior approval from his immediate superior or without orders. And this conscription-like method of recruiting is UNLIKELY to be ordered from higher ranks.
And with the harassment, are you sure they (victim) can support with medical documents their claim that he was really beaten up by the said soldiers?
November 5th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Well, why don't you try visit him at the hospital so you can see what's his condition? And from how you comment, it is most likely that you are a military agent.
And please, there's no such thing as neutrality. Even journalists cannot practice them. Because the moment they choose to report something is already a bias that he wanted to report on it and let the public know about it.
November 6th, 2010 at 1:53 am
A defender of CAFGU writes in, and makes the legalistic argument of seeking ‘medical documents’! How unsurprising. However in the past ten years, the impunity of the Philippine military in torturing, killing, and ‘conscripting’ is well recorded. US military aid to the Philippine military should be totally ended. Look how the Philippine military abuse the aid, to terrorize its own people.
The military should leave the community, end of story. There is no justification for the military to stay there.
December 6th, 2010 at 10:13 am
isa ako sa naninirahan dito sa calabasahan hindi makatotohanan ang bintang ninya sa mga sundalong na mamalagi sa lugar namin tingnan nyo nalang ang mga kabutihan ginawa nila sa lugar naito na ni minsan hindi naisip ng mga rebelding new peoples army para sa sinasabe nilang gagawin nilang pag babago para sa bayan sa halip sini sira nila ang kinabukasan ng bawat kabataang suma sapi sa kanilang kilosan at ngayong tanging mga tumutulong na sundalo ang sinisira nila subukan kaya ninyaong alamin ang buong katutuhanan sa likod ng pangyayaring kina sang kutan ng batang sina sabi nyong binug bog ng mga sundalo dito yan ay walang katutuhanan sadyang may sira na sya sa pag iisip at yon ay di dahil sa pambubugbog ng mga sundalo dito maayos silang na mamalagi dito maganda ang pakikisama nila malaki din ang nai tulong nila lalo na si COL ARNEL VILLAREAL PAF sya ang gumawa ng hakbang para maayos ang daan sa amin mula so maquitib pa baba ng calabasahan .sya din tumulong para mabigyan ng scholarship ang ilang mga kabataan nag aaral sa calabasahan elem.ang tumutulong sa mga underweight na batang na ninirahan dito sa lugar namin na ni minsan di naibigay ng mga taong na ninira sa mga sundalong pag tulong ang misyon para sa so calabasahan at wala silang karapatang paalisin sila dito.
April 7th, 2011 at 9:47 am
[...] highlighted the cases of recruitment of minors to Cafgu in San Juan, Batangas ; harassment of one family in Calinog, Iloilo resulting to the psychological instability of a young [...]