Findings and Conclusions 1. It must first be said that the government, with its vast arsenal of powers and as principal duty-bearer, is bound by the highest standard of responsibility and accountability in upholding HR. The Commission sadly notes the failures of the government in respecting the HR of the Lumad and behooves it to act more judiciously in ensuring that HR are, at all times, respected. 2. HR obligations, however, are owed by all. Non-government entities, too, cannot escape accountability for HR abuses. The Commission recognizes the nobility in the cause of the religious and civil society support groups, as well as their sacrifices, in seeking to protect the rights of the Lumad. The Commission also notes their transgressions – their own tendency to forget or ignore the basic rights of the very people whom they profess to support, perhaps in their passion to dramatize the plight of the Lumad. Militarization and Military Encampment in Schools 3. In recent decades, armed conflict has blighted the lives of millions of civilians.11 Serious violations of both International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law are a common occurrence in many armed conflicts. Over the years, the UN General Assembly, the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and, more recently, the Human Rights Council, have considered that, in armed conflict, parties to conflict have legally binding obligations concerning the rights of persons affected by the conflict. 4. According to the UN Working Group on Indigenous Issues, “wars and armed conflicts are a major concern for IPs.”12 In many cases, “IP lands become battlefields of internal wars and conflicts, and IPs are targeted by non-regular armed groups like colons or paramilitaries and threatened by regular military 11 UN Security Council. 2018. Report of the Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/2019/373). Retrieved from https://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-secretary-general-protection-civilians-armed-conflict-s2019373-enarru 12 “Utilization of Indigenous Peoples’ Lands by Non-Indigenous Authorities, Groups or Individuals for Military Purposes” Review of Developments, UN Commission on Human Rights, par.8. 5