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On the second death anniversary of volunteer teacher for the Lumad, Chad Booc, his closest friends recalled his words and the life he lived. His selflessness continues to inspire many others to serve the marginalized and oppressed.
“History shows that the state’s army and police officers are plagued by a culture of machismo, fascism, corruption, and a lack of respect for international humanitarian law. We remember names like Jovito Palparan, Hermogenes Esperon, Eduardo Año, Debold Sinas, Jonel Nuezca, among others."
"He left the safety of our supportive and loving hometown to serve the Lumad and their struggles for self-determination and to protect their ancestral lands from mining companies."
Gaya ni Rizal na nagsanay sa agham ng medisina, matapos ang kurso sa Computer Science at palagiang nakikilala sa kanyang katalinuhan mula pa ng pagkabata. Gaya ni Rizal, nakita ni Chad na higit na malawakan ang kaalamang maiaambag sa mga katutubo – pagbasa, pagsulat, pagkilala sa kalikasan, paglalapat ng mga konsepto sa aktwal na produksyong agrikultural at paglinang ng kapaligiran.
“Is this really the mindset of the armed state agents, that they will just shoot the non-combatants? Not only shooting to disable them but shooting to kill them." - forensic expert Raquel Fortun
Friends and colleagues of the victims of New Bataan massacre, or the New Bataan 5, gathered on Sunday, March 6 in UP Diliman to celebrate their life and call for justice.
Antonio La Viña, counsel for indigenous peoples, said the ATA, if not declared as unconstitutional, has deadly consequences. He cited the case of Chad Booc, volunteer teacher for Lumad schools and a petitioner against the ATA. He said that Booc, whom he knew personally, was constantly targeted by state forces, tagged as a member of “a terrorist group” until he was killed.
The bodies of three of the five victims in the New Bataan massacre were finally released to their families, according to Save our Schools Network.
Ngunit hindi nila alam,/Kami ay mga binhi / At ang pagsuklob sa amin ng lupa / Ay hindi nangahulugang paglukob sa amin ng dilim/ Bagkus ito ay pagsibol/ Kami ay uusbong, tutubo, mamumulaklak, at muling magbubunga
“Throughout their years of service, Chad, Jurain, and Elgyn had been subjected to threats, harassment, intimidation, including death threats, red-tagging and terror-tagging, and surveillance. It is then even more deplorable that the people who take up the initiative to serve in far-flung communities, where the Duterte government cares little to address the needs of its residents, are targeted and killed,” SOS Network said.
"A storyline sold by the state forces that was not so different from the murder of another minor in 2018 who was suspected to be a part of the NPA while he was heading out to school. And once again, the same narrative that is continually being proliferated now by the AFP when they brutally killed Chad and Jurain,"
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