Best way to mark World Teachers’ Day

Oct. 5 is United Nations’ World Teachers’ Day. On this day the role teachers play in providing quality education at all levels is recognized and celebrated. On this occasion, Auckland Philippines Solidarity (APS) reiterates that no one should be killed for educating and empowering indigenous communities.

Come Oct. 17, it will be four years to the day a great educator serving the lumad communities in Mindanao, the beloved Italian missionary Fr. Pops Tentorio, was brutally gunned down. We still grieve his death as we grieve the deaths of Emerito Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development, and Manobo leaders Dionel Campos and Datu Juvillo Sinzo in Han-ayan, Barangay Diatagon, Lianga town, Surigao del Norte. APS welcomes the recent statement of two UN experts, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and Michel Forst, pushing for a full investigation on the Sept. 1 murders of these three dedicated teachers and defenders of indigenous peoples’ rights.

We recall that while campaigning for the presidency in 2010, Mr. Aquino promised to revoke Executive Order No. 546, the legal basis for the creation and existence of abusive paramilitary groups. However, once in power, Mr. Aquino announced in 2011 that paramilitary groups would be used to help protect mining companies from attacks by insurgent groups.

Will the next president revoke EO 546 and stop militarization in all mining-affected communities altogether? If not, we dread getting news of more bloodshed in Mindanao and elsewhere. The government’s militarist and promining stance will continue to ensure big profits for mining giants at the expense of environment and indigenous peoples’ communities in Mindanao and the whole country.

On World Teachers’ Day, we believe that the best way for the Philippine government to honor Father Pops, Emerito Samarca, Dionel Campos, Juvillo Sinzo and all martyrs in the defense of the poor communities’ right to education is to heed the people’s urgent calls: Education, not bullets! Dismantle all paramilitary groups now! Stop lumad killings!

To our lumad kin, we say: Kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui! Continue to be strong, brave and persistent!

—HELEN TE HIRA,for Auckland Philippines Solidarity, [email protected]