Army, rights group trade barbs over natives’ plight

From the Mindanao Gold Star Daily (May 3): Army, rights group trade barbs over natives’ plight

THE Army and a group advocating for tribal rights traded accusations against each other over the alleged exploitation of indigenous people in San Fernando, Bukidnon.

In a press statement, the tribal group Kalumbay claimed that around 200 Matigsalug families have evacuated from San Fernando, Bukidnon earlier this week due to aerial bombardment by helicopters from the 68th Infantry Battalion.

But in an interview, 4th Infantry Division acting spokesperson Lt. Col. Leonard Gille denied that the 68th Infantry Battalion launched an operation in the area.

“Dugay na man to nga naa mi gi-pursue nga mga NPA. That was last March pa,” Gille said.

Instead, he said that Kalumbay must have been misinformed because the closest Army unit in the area is the 60th Infantry Battalion which is under the 1st Infantry Division in nearby Davao del Norte.

The town of San Fernando is the closest municipality to Davao del Norte, lying on the edge of Talaingod town.

Gille however acknowledged that there were indigenous people who have gone to the poblacion of San Fernando town, claiming they were dislodged by military operations.

“Ang gihimo lang sa mayor sa maong dapit mao ang pagpanghatag og mga pagkaon nila kay naa na man sila, lisod pud og abogon,” Gille said.

Gille claimed they are not “real evacuees” but they were only instigated by Kalumbay to pose as war evacuees so people in the area would believe that an Army operation has caused hassle in their municipality.

“Ang ila propaganda ra g’yud ni sa mga walhon. Dili ko motuo nga tunay kini nga mga evacuees,” he said.

Kalumbay chair Jomorito Goaynon maintained the existence of 250 Matigsalug families dislodged from their homes early this week.

Goaynon said these families came from barangays Bunakaw and San Jose.
The tribal evacuees in nearby Davao del Norte, however are real.

Early this week, an agreement was reached between the Army and the tribes so they could go back to their hometown.

But Gille insisted that the conflict in Davao del Norte never spilled over to Bukidnon.

Although San Fernando and Talaingod are adjacent to each other, the mountainous terrain in San Fernando is so rugged that if one goes to the other, he needs to travel through the Buda highway, passing by Davao City in the process. The whole journey is a 240-kilometer turnaround.

http://www.goldstardailynews.com.ph/mindanao/army-rights-group-trade-barbs-over-natives-plight.html