Cagayan de Oro tribal families flea as NPAs patrol hinterlands

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 23): Cagayan de Oro tribal families flea as NPAs patrol hinterlands

Pastor Roberto Cabaring of the Tribe of Christ Church, one of the groups helping the evacuees, said about 10 families are now staying at a tribal shelter in the village of Dansolihon following reports of the presence of communist New People’s Army (NPA) insurgents in the outskirts of the village.

Cabaring said that the families, members of the Higaonon tribe, were frightened when members of the NPA’s Front 68 allegedly visited their community last week to purposely distribute subversive handouts and flyers.

He said that the tribal members also reported that the NPA even threatened to harm the villagers who would report to the authorities about their presence in the village.

Cabaring said that the church received information that last Friday, residents in the village of Pigsag-an saw a contingent of 60 to 100 armed NPA militants who were reportedly heading to the borders of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.

Ranel Lirongan, 34, a farmer in the village of Dansolihon, said that about 60 heavily armed individuals came to talk to them but they did not introduce themselves as NPA members.

Lirongan said the insurgents were aged between 18 to 20 years old, and most of them were carrying long firearms, either an M14 rifle or shotgun.

“They were wearing black pants and black boots, many of them wore face masks,” Lirongan said.

Lirongan appealed to the military to secure the tribal community because the presence of the communist guerillas has affected “our children, and our livelihood.”

Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, the spokesperson of the army’s 4th Infantry Division, said that the unilateral ceasefire agreement between the government and the NPA prevents authorities from launching a military action against the NPA rebels.

However, Martinez said the military could assist the Philippine National Police (PNP) in securing the area and taking action against the communist insurgents for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=957460