DAVAO CITY – Villagers have fled their homes in San Luis town in the southern Filipino province of Agusan del Sur after communist rebels allegedly told to evacuate because of an impending military offensive, officials said Monday.
Officials said nearly 900 people, mostly tribesmen, were forced to flee their homes and sought refuge at the Urios elementary school in Balit village. New People’s Army rebels told them that government troops were heading to their village.
Maj. Ezra Balagtey, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said there was no military operation in the area, but troops were there to facilitate social services for civilians.
He said Gen. Aurelio Baladad, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, accused the NPA – which is fighting for a separate state – of intimidating and harassing villagers.
“The NPAs displayed their blatant disregard of (sic) human rights when they forced the massive evacuation of the community. They displaced the indigenous people from their place of abode and prevented them to practice their way of life that blatantly erodes their dignity as a people” Balagtey quoted Baladad as saying.
“They don’t want the government’s presence in these communities so that they will blame the government for neglecting its responsibilities and thus lay the basis for more recruits. They want the marginalized communities to be constantly in quagmire so that they will have constant issues to manipulate the poor and hammer down issues against the govt. If they truly are for the welfare of the IP communities, why stop the delivery of basic services and development in these areas,” Baladad said.
Local government and military officials have urged the villagers to return home. (Mindanao Examiner)
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