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Sunday, March 19, 2017
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“COLLATERAL damage, pasensya (Collateral damage, my apologies).”
This was what President Duterte said when he ordered the Armed Forces to drop bombs on New People’s Army rebels and flatten hills early this month. He was apologizing in advance to people who will be displaced by an intensified armed conflict.
But no. Our internal refugees should not be considered merely as “collateral damage” of either armed conflict or other humanitarian emergencies. Each one of us has a stake in human security and development.
Does the President have a plan or program for his “collateral damage?”
Loss of lives, properties and livelihood. Fear for safety, survival, and of what the future holds. These are the many issues being faced by thousands of Filipinos whenever a country is hit by natural or man-made disasters such as armed conflicts, devastating earthquakes and typhoons. The people caught in between these unfortunate scenarios should be assisted immediately and sufficiently.
How can the government address the plight of these people, and empower them to have their lives and dignity back? Do we have a State policy – preferably with a rights-based approach – to internal displacement?
Internal displacement is actually a common phenomenon in our country, and it is more pronounced in Mindanao where the Muslim separatist movement has been raging for several decades now. Involuntary displacement is a serious social problem that needs to be addressed as it results in loss of lives and properties, psychological trauma, family disintegration, disruption in education, loss of employment, anarchy, and over-all vulnerability, among others.
The issues on food and water safety, privacy, rape, trafficking, prostitution, and shelter, among others are concerns that affect displaced Filipinos, especially the women, children, senior citizens and people with disabilities.
It is sobering to note that every person in this country is susceptible to being displaced. We must thus promote and protect the rights of our internal refugees in situations of armed conflict, generalized and/organized violence, even clan wars, violations of human rights, implementation of development projects and human-made hazards. We must look for viable solutions.
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