Kapalong tribal leaders declare ‘pangayaw’ against NPA, NGO support

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 4): Kapalong tribal leaders declare ‘pangayaw’ against NPA, NGO support

After a series of unrest in Barangay Gupitan, the tribal leaders in the barangay which is part of Kapalong town, declared ‘pangayaw’  or tribal war against the New People’s Army and its support non-government organizations (NGO).

This was revealed earlier today by Municipal Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Datu Arturo Davao in  a Press Conference on  the Gupitan Incident held at ABC Hall, Kapalong.

“We, the tribal leaders, signed a manifesto declaring war after a number of NGOs tried to enter our ancestral domain disregarding our agreements,” Datu Davao said.

Davao added that ten NGOs tried to enter Brgy. Gupitan twice and that he  revealed KARAPATAN  and PASAKA were among those NGOs.

“At first, we (tribal leaders) had a dialogue with them and told them not to enter certain sitios because of ongoing encounter between the army and the NPA. But during the dialogue, they insisted and I had to stop the forum since discussion got heated up,” he said in Visayan dialect.

Davao then requested the NGO to set another schedule to continue the discussion.

“However when they returned, they did not pass by us. It’s a disrespect  for us,” he said in Visayan dialect.

Gaspar Balinggao, municipal administrator and action officer of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management center, said that the municipal government set up an Incident Command Center on August 15 after declaring Barangay Gupitan on a state of imminent danger.

“Since the encounter started in July, ten communities of more than 800 households in Barangay Gupitan have been affected,” Balinggao said.

He said that the ICS provided food, medical and transportation assistance to affected families, who remained in their houses.

As of today, Balinggao disclosed that the municipal government already distributed a total of 4,685 food packs.

“We have served all the households and we still continue serving them until encounter ends,” he said.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1541409815792