by Ben Serrano
July 20, 2009
Lt. Col Benjamen Petralvez, 58th IB commanding officer based in Surigao del Sur said his men were actually conducting social civic actions in said hinterland areas when some lumads through insinuations by alleged NGO workers “mistook the civic operation” as military action.
“They (NGO workers) brought some 700 indigenous people to Lianga Gym to make it appear our brother IPs were cowering in fear but the truth is we are not there to sow fear nor create chaos but for civic actions to let them know their armed forces cared for their plight”, Petralvez said.
Petralvez claimed his men were conducting community civic actions in Barangays Duangan, San Isidro, Ban-as, Kliometers 9 and 16 and Banahaw, all in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
Petralvez however claimed that his men who were conducting community works were allegedly harassed by armed men suspected to be New People’s Army in Purok 5, Barangay San Isidro, Lianga, Surigao del Sur that hearly ended in a firefight last Friday.
Col. Danilo Fabian, 401st IB Philippine Army commander based also in Surigao del Sur on the other hand claimed there is no military combat operation in the area neither ordering any single bullet fired by the soldiers.
“There is no evacuation, it is hakot system, the New People’s Army’s way of evading their mass based every time the Philippine Army troopers conduct community work in barangays, this is an old trick by NPA supporters and die hard fans”, Fabian in a text message to this writer.
“Doktrina na ito ng mga NPA, every time dadalaw mga sundalo sa guerilla base binababa nila mga tao at manghingi pagkain sa mga local government units ( This has already become a doctrine of the NPA every time soldiers visit their guerilla based, they urged the people to come down and asked food rations from local government units)”, Colonel Fabian said.
Earlier, Diocese of Tandag Social Action Director Sister Lydia Lascano reported that hinterland dwellers in the area mostly indigenous people fled to Lianga Community Gym after the military allegedly launched offensive in known New People’s Army lairs in the area since Thursday and Friday.
Lascano said the first batch of evacuees arrived at the Lianga Community Gym last June 18 when Philippine Army soldiers allegedly started to fire mortar bombings in the hinterland areas particularly Andap Valley known to have rich deposits of gold.
Lianga town is about 130 kilometers away from Butuan City, the regional center.
Lascano said the first batch of evacuees arrived at the Lianga Community Gym last June 18 when Philippine Army soldiers started to fire mortar bombings in the hinterland areas of Lianga known to have rich deposits of gold.
It is also known lair of suspected New People’s Army rebels operating in Surigao del Sur.
Sister Lydia Lascano said she received reports and complaints from areas affected that allegedly government troopers live in indigenous peoples’ houses and allegedly coercing the tribesmen to join government created Bagani group.
Bagani in lumad terms means “tribal warriors”.
“We need at least 25 sacks a day to feed the evacuees, clothing, medicines are needed too”, Sister Lascano
Recently, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has elected Diocese of Tandag Bishop Nerio Odchimar, D.D as its new President.
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