Three years after the brutal massacre of their leaders, some 328 Manobo families or 1,607 residents of Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur have again been forced to evacuate due to the series of harassment and abuses perpetrated by troops of the 75th IB in their community.
Evacuees include 568 Lumad students and 48 teachers from community schools Tribal Filipino Program for Surigao del Sur (TRIFPSS) and Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Livelihood Development (Alcadev). Bringing only some of their belongings, the Lumads walked for almost 10 hours towards the Diatagon Gym where they are temporarily staying.
Barangay Diatagon is covered by the Andap Valley which Duterte offered to mining investors. The area is said to hold the largest carbon reserves in the country. Benguet Corporation, Great Wall Mining and Power Corporation at Abacus Coal Exploration and Development have all already been awarded with permits to operate in the said area. As mining operations of these companies are set to commence, the 75th IB on July 14 constructed a detachment and deployed some 100 soldiers to guard the companies. Their presence resulted in prevalent unrest in 23 sitios of the barangay.
Within 33 days, cases of threat, harassment and intimidation perpetrated by soldiers against the residents were documented. These included forcible entry of soldiers to their homes, asking residents for their names and enlisting them as CAFGU recruits without their consent. Their livestock and crops were stolen. Their schools were forcibly occupied and the cottage of its volunteer teachers was ransacked; women and children were verbally and sexually abused; and residents actively opposing the entry of plunderous concessions in their land. Residents no longer have anything to eat because they can no longer go to their farms. Classes in TRIFPSS and Alcadev were suspended.
On July 9, some 150 residents and their supporters protested in front of the provincial capitol to demand an end to the militarization of their communities. Despite this, a local government official insisted that cannot act upon the request because of martial rule.
On July 11, a dialogue was held between leaders of the Malahutayong Pakigbisog alang sa Sumusunod (MAPASU), local government officials, and representatives of the 401st Brigade, 36th IB at 75th IB. After expressing the need for sanctuary, Lumad leaders were told by Brig. Gen. Andres Centino that they could face criminal charges for evacuating.
On July 16, soldiers blocked the route of the evacuees using two six-by-six trucks while five media outfits were barred by soldiers from covering the activity.
The harassment continued even in the evacuation site. On July 18, police and military troops encamped at and surrounded the Diatagon gym. At around 11:30 a.m., they blocked the entry of sacks of rice and food for the immediate consumption of the evacuees.
On July 20, soldiers forced their way inside the gym purportedly to distribute food for the evacuees.
This is the residents’ second evacuation this year, and their fourth under martial law.
Killings and abduction
On July 10, Bladen Skyler Abatayo, a 4-year old child, was killed on the spot after being hit by a stray bullet from the indiscriminate strafing of PNP elements while conducting an “anti-illegal drug operation” in Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita, Cebu City.
On June 24 at around 7 a.m., elements of the 76th IB abducted Tifon Piniw together with his 10-year old nephew while they were on their way to Sityo Buswak, Barangay Lisap, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. They have not been located since then.
Illegal arrests
On July 11, Kristine Cabardo, chairperson of the League of Filipino Students-Northern Mindanao, was re-arrested by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) together with three other family members in Linamon, Lanao del Norte. Mary Ann Cabardo, Kristine’s mother, was detained and forced to admit that the sachets of shabu planted by the police in their motorcycle were hers. Mary Ann is still under detention. Kristine is among the 13 activist leaders who were arrested on July 4 in General Santos City.
On July 19, Jessica and Allan Pajo were illegally arrested by elements of the PNP in Gingoog, Misamis Oriental and were falsely charged with murder and attempted murder.
On June 27, Jerry Liao, Ruel Linaw, Koko Bayok and Tata Atig, farmer residents of Barangay Tawan-tawan, Baguio District, Davao City were arrested and detained by elements of the 3rd IB after engaging NPA troops in a firefight in Barangay Carmen on the same day. On the next day, soldiers forced five civilian residents of Barangay Magsaysay, Marilog District to surrender as NPA fighters.
Demolition
On July 6, authorities demolished the houses of the residents of Real, Calamba, Laguna. PNP elements were deployed in the area to suppress the residents’ resistance. A police cocked his gun, while another threatened to arrest a volunteer of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan–Southern Tagalog.
Intimidation, threat and surveillance
On July 18 in General Santos City, April Rose Avila, member of Disaster Response Center SOCCSKSARGEN (DIRECT), was harassed by an AFP agent identified as Jerson Gallego. Gallego questioned Avila about the connection of the organization with progressive organizations. He told Avila that her family and organization have long been under military surveillance.
On July 9, two members of media group Eastern Vista were put under surveillance by PNP agents on their way back to their office in Tacloban City. On June 18, another member of Eastern Vista was harassed in Magsaysay Boulevard and asked if he was a genuine member of the media.
On the early morning of July 3, 78th IB troopers armed with rifles surrounded the house of Alberto Ligutan, vice chairperson of the Municipal Farmers Association of Carigara (MUFAC), in Barangay Kaghalo, Carigara, Leyte. was surrounded by elements of the 78th IB who were armed with rifles. The soldiers threatened his life and forced himto surrender as an NPA fighter.
On July 3, at around 4 p.m., Romy Portugal, member of KADAMAY–Metro Tacloban, was summoned by elements of the 3rd Maneuver Platoon of the PNP and was threatened to be arrested if he participates again in his organization’s activities.
On June 27, Ongbak Ihem and Butsoy Puypoy were harassed and threatened by soldiers in Barangay Lisap, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. The operating military troops entered the barangay at around 4 a.m. and initially went to Ongbak’s house.
Soldiers ordered Ongbak to lie face down. He was held at knifepoint while being forced to surrender as an NPA member. He was then brought to the basketball court and was again forced to lie face down. The soldiers asked him the name of the members of their cooperative and questioned its existence. While interrogating Ongbak, other soldiers forcibly entered the house of Butsoy Puypoy.
On July 16, suspected state agents were caught conducting surveillance in front of the Anakpawis office in Pulo, Cabuyao, Laguna.
[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the
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