CHR records first martial law-related case in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines — The death of a tribal chieftain and seven others in South Cotabato is the first “martial law-related case” since Mindanao has been placed under military rule, the Commission on Human Rights said.

According to reports, Datu Victor Danyan was among those killed in a deadly encounter between members of the T’boli-Dulangan Manobo tribe and the military in Sitio Celtex, Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato last month.

"This is the first case that we will docket a martial law-related case in Region 12," CHR-12 Director Erlan Deluvio was quoted as saying in a report by independent news website DavaoToday.com.

Deluvio said state forces “might” have killed the eight as part of a crackdown on suspected communist rebels under martial law.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday deliberated on whether President Rodrigo Duterte's second request for extension of martial law in the southern region of the Philippines has sufficient factual basis.

Duterte had cited, among others, the growing influence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Mindanao as well as threats posed by communist insurgents in seeking for an extension of military rule.

In July last year, the SC upheld the constitutionality of Proclamation No. 216 that placed Mindanao under martial law and suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus after Marawi City was stormed by ISIS-backed militants.

In a statement, advocacy group Alliance for Genuine Development said that while the results of their fact-finding mission last month were affirmed by the CHR’s statement, the murders of Danyan and other tribesmen were not the first case of martial law-related abuse.

Alliance for Genuine Development said they have recorded 13 cases of alleged summary executions in Region 12 since martial law was declared last May 23.

There were also incidents of air strikes in many Lumad communities that had displaced more than 200 families.

“With the escalating number of human rights violations, I hope the President will see that the extension of Martial Law until the end of the year is not doing good especially to the toiling masses,” the advocacy group also said, as reported by DavaoToday.

Two United Nations experts have warned the Philippines over the potentially “massive” impact of military operations on indigenous people in Mindanao, with the extension of martial law for another year seen to escalate militarization in the southern region.

READ: UN warns Philippines over 'massive' impact of military ops on Lumads in Mindanao