Gensanportal - Mindanao News Blog

by Ben Serrano

July 30, 2009

Tandag, SURIGAO DEL SUR- Soldiers belonging to 58th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army based in Barangay Dayo-an, Tago, Surigao del Sur foiled a plan by armed men suspected to be New People’s Army members to burn houses of nearly 2,000 Manobo tribesmen who are now holed up here at Surigao del Sur capital after fleeing their homes since June.

In a press release by 58th IB signed by their commanding officer Lt. Col, Benjamen Petralvez said that his men conducting “Community Works for Peace and Development” at Barangay San Isidro, Lianga, Surigao del Sur uncovered plot to burn houses at Purok 5 in said barangay.

“Last July 26, at around 9:35 a.m. in Purok 5, Barangay San Isidro, my men uncovered plot by NPA rebels to burn houses left by Manobo tribesmen and blamed the burning to us if it succeeded”, Petralvez in a mobile phone interview said.

Petralvez claimed the NPA through the help of their NGO fronts have been instigating to evacuate their communities to avoid any contact with government agencies.

“This only manifest that the CPP/NPA/NDF do no want peace and development and continue to terrorize the local folks” Petralvez said.

But Fr, Virgilio Amihan of Promotion for Church People’s Response and Sister Lydia Lascano, Directress for Diccese of Tandag Social Action Center the military’s allegations that the NGOs are instigating lumad through hakot or hauling system are all false of full of lies.

Fr. Amihan said the time the lumad have evacuated, the NGOs were the last to be informed as the lumads have already started to walk, brought along with them their little children and whatever food, clothing they can bring to Lianga town Gym.

“In the past 2005, 2007 evacuations, they themselves are the ones personally evacuating after they sense they will be caught in crossfire in the military and NPA fighting”, Fr. Amihan said.

“They are simple ordinary folks who have no ambitions or qualms in life all they wanted is peace and freedom, whereby they can plant, fish and harvest freely without both the NPA and the military in their lives” Fr. Amihan continued.

Sister Lydia Lascano, on the other hand, claimed Petralvez men’s claiming they save houses of lumads because they will be burn by NPA rebels were all mere propaganda.

“They are making themselves saviors kuno, it is highest form of deceit by masters of deceits”, Sister Lascano said.

Meanwhile, some 1,000 lumad evacuees have started this late afternoon to march in major thoroughfares of Tandag to dramatize their demands to government to help them remove militarization in their lands.

The marchers-protesters said they will end up at the provincial capitol this afternoon to ask Governor Pimentel’s help.

They claimed the Pimentels allegedly owned some of the biggest mining and logging firms in the province, “maybe they can now help us” , they say as without elaborating further.