56 families flee in Compostela Valley due to NPA harassment

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 7): 56 families flee in Compostela Valley due to NPA harassment

The local government of Compostela in Compostela Valley and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are continuously providing food and shelter to 56 families who abandoned their houses after reporting of harassment activities by the New People's Army (NPA) in Sitio Side 4, Barangay Manggayon in Compostela town.

The affected families, mostly belonging to the Matigsalug tribe, are on their third day seeking refuge at the municipal gymnasium as staff of the municipal social welfare and development office provide their basic needs.

During the dialogue facilitated by the municipal government Sunday, Mayor Lema Bolo assured the evacuees that they are now safe to return home since the government troops have already driven away the NPAs who harassed them.

But personalities from a militant Davao-based group who call themselves as "Balsa Mindanao", apparently have misled the indigenous peoples into believing that the presence of the Peace and Development Teams of the 25th Infantry Battalion put their lives in danger.

The Municipal Peace and Order Council immediately convened to address the return of the evacuees but Balsa Mindanao blocked their efforts like prohibiting the Purok Leader, Julito Diarog, to attend the council meeting even when Mayor Bolo herself accompanied by members of the MPOC went to fetch Diarog to escort him to the council meeting.

As such, the council decided to create a crisis management committee to properly address the defiant actions of Balsa Mindanao members and to effect the immediate and safe return of the evacuees.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=573568