DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 10, 2014) – Tribal leaders on Thursday said indigenous people continue to flee the southern Philippine province of Davao del Norte where the military has mounted a renewed offensive against communist rebels.
They also rejected allegations by the military and government officials that hundreds of indigenous families were forced by human rights and humanitarian groups to flee the town of Talaingod and seek refuge in Davao City.
The town’s tribal council Salugpongan ‘Ta Tanu Igkanugon said the villagers fled due to the ongoing military assault on the New People’s Army rebels.
The military’s Eastern Mindanao Command and Talaingod Mayor Basilio Libayao claimed that PASAKA, a confederation of indigenous groups in Mindanao, and other human rights and church groups, transported the refugees to Davao City and made allegations that troops had violated the rights of the civilians.
“Sa sugod pa lang sa pagbomba sa amoang mga komunidad sa Sitio Bagang, ug Lasakan, nagahuna-huna na ang konseho sa mga Datu ilalom sa Salugpongan nga kon pugson gyud mi ni Mayor Libayao ug sa militar nga mubalik sa amoang mga Sityo kay dili mi pabakwiton, muadto gyud mi og Davao, kon asa mi makapangita og dakong suporta, sama sa gihimo namo kaniadtong 1994 diin gitabangan mi ni Duterte nga makig-atubang sa ALSONs,”(Since the start of the bombings of our communities such as in Sitio Bagang and Sitio Lasakan, the council of leaders of Salugpongan was already considering to go to Davao like what we did in 1994, if the Mayor and the military would insist on making us go back into our communities because they don’t want us to evacuate. In Davao, Duterte helped us negotiate with ALSONs.) Datu Duluman Dawsay, a spokesperson for the Salugpongan ‘Ta Tanu Igkanugon, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He said more than 1,350 evacuees fled after military forces bombed the town in support to ground operations by soldiers in so-called “defended territory” of the Manobos tribe in Talaingod. He said the villagers were all the more intimidated when military troops, along with the social workers, went to the evacuation camp and prevented some of the people from evacuating.
“Human mi gi-harass mi, gi-bastos ang mga babaye, gipang-baharan ang mga bata, gi-bomba ang mga kabalayan ug umahan, gibaharan usab nga sa matag usa ka sundalo nga mamatay, mupatay sila og 5 ka-lumad, unya, ang gusto nila nga dili mi mutingog ug pasagdan lang nga i-tortyur ang among mga tawo? (After they harassed us, disrespected our women, and threatened the children, bombed our communities and farmlands, and issued a threat that for every soldier who will die they will kill five Lumads. They expect us to keep mum and allow them to torture our people?), Dawsay asked.
He also thanked different humanitarian groups which assisted the villagers and protected them from any harm while they flee the town.
“Ang RMP, Fr. Pops Foundation, PASAKA, ug uban pang mga organisasyon dugay nang nagatabang sa amoa pinaagi sa mga serbisyo sama sa libreng edukasyon gikan Elementarya hangtod High-School, serbisyo sa panglawas. Si Fr. Pops, ang Italyanong pari nga gipatay, kanunay naa sa amoang lugar aron mutabang kanamo. Naa usab ang mga grupo gikan Amerika nga matag-tuig muadto sa Talaingod aron magpahigayon og medical mission og tree planting.”
“Naa pud mi mga bisita gikan Italy, kadtong niaging bulan adunay 5 ka-batanon gikan sa Europa ug Africa, naa’y mga puti ang panit, naa’y itom sama sa amoang panit. Sige sila og balik sa amoa aron maghatag daw og pakighiusa ug makatuon sa amoang pagdepensa sa yutang kabilin. Nganong magpakalat ang 10th Infantry Division karon og bakak nga ang mga nagasuporta sa amoa nga mga grupo ang daotan?”
(“RMP, Fr. Pops, PASAKA and other organizations, have from the beginning provided us with help in the form of services such as free education and medical services. Slain priest Fr. Pops Tentorio also used to frequent our place to give help. There are also many groups from America which goes to Talaingod every year to hold medical mission and tree planting. We have visitors from Italy, and last month there were 5 youth from Europe, some were white-skinned, some were black-skinned like ours. They kept on coming back to give solidarity and to learn how we have defended our ancestral land. Why is the 10th Infantry Division spreading lies that these groups which support us are maligned?”) Dawsay asked.
He also urged the military stop spreading lies about Salugpungan and its support groups.
“Ang mga busaw, ang militar. Gipanamastamasan nila ang amoang katungod. Dili tinuod nga adunay encounter tali sa NPA ug militar. Gibuak nila ang kalinaw sa amoang yutang kabilin ug nagbomba sa amoang komunidad. Hangtod karon, madunggan pa sa mga bata ang tingog sa mga helicopter ug mga bomba sulod sa ilang utok,” (The military are the monsters. They are the ones who violated our rights. Contrary to what the military claimed, there was no encounter. It was they who broke the peace in our communities and started the bombings. The children can still hear the sound of helicopters and bombs in their heads.) said Dawsay
Dawsay also appealed to Libayao to look into the welfare of his people.
“Mayor, kabalo mi nga wala ka’y mahimo tungod ang military, didto man sa ilahang labaw sa nasyunal maminaw ug dili sa imoha. Unta dili ka magpagamit sa ilaha ug panalipdan mi nimo, kami nga mga lumulupyo sa Talaingod ug parehas nimo nga lumad sa Talaingod,” (Mayor, we know that you cannot do anything because the military get orders from their higher-ups in the national and not from you. We hope you will not be used by them and that you defend us, your constituents, we who are your fellow lumad in Talaingod.), he said.
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