From the Sun Star-Davao (Oct 4): Military presence triggers evacuation in Compostela
SOME 200 Matigsalog tribesmen were forced to leave their homes in Barangay Mangayon in the town of Compostela, Compostela Valley on Friday due to the deployment of more government forces in the area.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Mindanao secretary general Sheena Duazo, in text messages to Sun.Star Davao on Friday, said lumads in the area fled their homes after soldiers from the Army's 25th Infantry Battalion occupied their community at sitio Bermuda in the said barangay.
Duazo suspected that the soldiers were deployed in the area to pave the way for a mining company to operate in the area.
"Musulod na pud sa area ang Agusan Petroleum and Minerals, sister company sa San Miguel Corp., (The Agusan Petroleum and Minerals, a sister company of San Miguel Corp., will penetrate the area once again,)" Duazo said.
She then called for the pullout of the troops as the mining company may operate and destroy the lumads' ancestral domain.
She also pointed out that the presence of the mining company in the area may also deter the development of farmers and small-scale farmers.
The Matigsalog tribesmen are currently taking refuge at town hall gym in Compostela.
The Matigsalog community, along with other lumad communities and farmers in the area, held on September 30 a picket at the town hall and declared a tribal war against the Agusan Petroleum and Minerals due to their ongoing operations.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2013/10/04/military-presence-triggers-evacuation-compostela-306901
This would appear to be Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-related agitation/propaganda activity. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN--New Patriotic Alliance) is the main CPP umbrella front organization with chapters active throughout the Philippines. It seems likely that Southern Mindanao chapter of BAYAN has successfully organized a small number of local tribesmen to engage anti-military/government protest activities.
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