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Ayta tribes call for a clean ellecions.
Intramuros, Manila - Indigenous Ayta folk killed a chicken in a ritual to their god Apo Namalyari at the doors of the Commission on Elections in Intramuros, Manila. The Aytas performed the ritual for "a clean, honest, and glitch-free elections" to kick-off the campaign bid of the progressive KATRIBU Indigenous Peoples Partylist.
Blood stained the thresholds of the Commission on Elections today.
According to Kakay Tolentino, a Dumagat and KATRIBU Partylist Secretary General, such rituals are done to call on the good spirits and to drive away evil spirits. "This ritual is symbolic of our battle against the powers that dominate the coming elections," Tolentino said. "Philippine elections are always hounded by the evils of violence, cheating, and disenfranchisement. These should be cast away by the people's vigilance and determination to uphold the people's right to suffrage."
The partylist group expressed their concerns on the 2013 elections. "The major defects in the PCOS machines, the militarization of our communities, and the general atmosphere of impunity threatens the integrity of the elections. For indigenous peoples, this situation signals continued disenfranchisement," Tolentino added. “These evils must be expelled from the current electoral system.”
The group earlier criticized the Comelec for not addressing the glitches encountered in the mock elections held last week. "The defects of the automated election system (AES) in the 2010 elections
caused the disenfranchisement of many indigenous peoples, who mostly live in remote areas. The glitches that arose in the mock elections is worrisome for us. The Comelec must address these glitches seriously."
However, the group says that militarization of indigenous communities is a big threat to peaceful and clean elections. “There is a heavy deployment of the State armed forces in indigenous communities, not to mention the plague of paramilitary groups crawling in our territories. The presence of these armed groups incite violence, harassments, and fraud. State troops must be pulled-out of our lands, the paramilitary groups disbanded and disarmed,” Tolentino said.
Human rights violations among indigenous peoples connected to military deployment in their communities has intensified in the Aquino administration, says Tolentino. “The upcoming elections, with human rights violations and impunity in the background is very dangerous.”
Blood stained the thresholds of the Commission on Elections today.
According to Kakay Tolentino, a Dumagat and KATRIBU Partylist Secretary General, such rituals are done to call on the good spirits and to drive away evil spirits. "This ritual is symbolic of our battle against the powers that dominate the coming elections," Tolentino said. "Philippine elections are always hounded by the evils of violence, cheating, and disenfranchisement. These should be cast away by the people's vigilance and determination to uphold the people's right to suffrage."
The partylist group expressed their concerns on the 2013 elections. "The major defects in the PCOS machines, the militarization of our communities, and the general atmosphere of impunity threatens the integrity of the elections. For indigenous peoples, this situation signals continued disenfranchisement," Tolentino added. “These evils must be expelled from the current electoral system.”
The group earlier criticized the Comelec for not addressing the glitches encountered in the mock elections held last week. "The defects of the automated election system (AES) in the 2010 elections
caused the disenfranchisement of many indigenous peoples, who mostly live in remote areas. The glitches that arose in the mock elections is worrisome for us. The Comelec must address these glitches seriously."
However, the group says that militarization of indigenous communities is a big threat to peaceful and clean elections. “There is a heavy deployment of the State armed forces in indigenous communities, not to mention the plague of paramilitary groups crawling in our territories. The presence of these armed groups incite violence, harassments, and fraud. State troops must be pulled-out of our lands, the paramilitary groups disbanded and disarmed,” Tolentino said.
Human rights violations among indigenous peoples connected to military deployment in their communities has intensified in the Aquino administration, says Tolentino. “The upcoming elections, with human rights violations and impunity in the background is very dangerous.”
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