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Military attacking lumad schools prior to Duterte’s bombing remark


A child-focused non-government organization on Friday said that military troops had been attacking lumad schools in Mindanao even before President Rodrigo Duterte's "bombing remark" against alternative learning initiatives.

"Nandito ang halos 300 na mga lumad students, teachers and parents na naglakbay mula sa Mindanao upang ipakita sa gobyerno, lalo na sa Presidente, sa Department of Education, sa mga mamamayan dito sa Metro Manila na ang martial law sa Mindanao ay nagbubungsod ng walang humpay na pang-aatake sa mga paaralang lumad," Save Our Schools (SOS) Network in Mindanao spokesperson Rius Valle said at a press conference at the University of the Philippines-Diliman Campus in Quezon City.

"Hindi pa man nagbigay ng statement ang ating Pangulo na bobombahin niya ang mga paaralan, matagal na pong inaatake yung ating mga paaralan," he added.

At a press conference after his second State of the Nation Address and a short dialogue with the protesters outside the Batasan Pambasan Complex, Duterte said that he would bomb schools operated by the lumads, alleging that these institutions were teaching students rebellion.

Also, he insisted that lumad schools have been operating without a permit from the Department of Education.

Meanwhile, Valle said that a total of 89 schools were attacked during the first year of Duterte administration.

He claimed that the attacks were intensified when Duterte declared an all-out war against the New People's Army in February and when he placed the entire Mindanao under martial law last May.

A total of 2,624 lumad students were affected by the attacks while 28 schools were forcibly closed.

"[Noong] Mayo 20, sinunog ng mga militar ang buong komunidad, isang paaralan at halos 35 na mga bahay ang sinunog doon sa SOCCKSARGEN region [or Region XII]," Valle said.

He added that these schools had been operating through the efforts of the lumad community and teachers, religious institutions and other non-government organizations.

Amid attacks, Valle said that seven members of the Parents Teachers Community Association have been killed, while a student remains missing, and seven lumad teachers are facing trumped-up cases.

While some students remain in their areas, a total of 864 among them have been subjected to forcible evacuation. —LBG/KVD, GMA News

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