HARRASSED. Some of the 35 Manobo families who left their upland community in Lianga town, Surigao del Sur following a series of harassments by communist rebels over the weekend. They are presently seeking refuge in nearby Sitio Neptune. (Photo courtesy of Army's 3rd Special Forces Battalion)
BUTUAN CITY – Some 35 families belonging to the Manobo tribe evacuated their upland community in Lianga town, Surigao del Sur over the weekend following a series of harassments by communist rebels, a tribal leader said.
Hawudon Jumar Bucales, the Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of Lianga town, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Sunday that the Manobo families from Sitio Simuwao (Kilometer 9) in Barangay Diatagon have temporarily settled in nearby Sitio Neptune on Saturday.
“The harassment on February 21 in Sitio Emerald that hurt three civilians was purposely done by the NPA (New People's Army) to trigger an evacuation among the civilians. They then blamed the military. That was the strategy,” Bucales said.
Staged evacuations
He was referring to the supposed tactic commonly employed by the NPA dubbed as "taktikang bakwit" (evacuation tactic) which involves accusing the military of abuses to force government forces out of the area.
“I condemn this destructive practice of ‘taktikang bakwit’ of the NPA. It is destroying the Manobo tribe of Lianga, especially our children,” Bucales said, adding that the evacuees have already received initial food and other assistance from the military.
Bucales said that in contrast to previous "staged evacuations" perpetrated by the NPA, the 35 families did not join the Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa mga Sumusunod (MAPASU), the leftist indigenous people's group accused by the military as working with communist rebels to organize previous mass evacuations.
"They are now aware that they will only be used by MAPASU and the NPA. They preferred to settle in Sitio Neptune with their families because there is an Army detachment in the area,” the tribal leader said, adding the MAPASU group have evacuated to Sitio Han-ayan (Kilometer 16), also in Diatagon.
1Lt. Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan, civil-military operations (CMO) officer of the Army's 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn), said the NPA's latest "taktikang bakwit" appeared to have backfired.
“The scripted ‘taktikang bakwit’ is now happening but with some twist. Only the leaders and members of MAPASU from Kilometer 9, Diatagon went to Sitio Han-ayan (Kilometer 16) after the NPA harassed and injured three civilians in Sitio Emerald last February 21,” Punsalan told the PNA on Saturday.
It can be recalled that in a statement on February 26, top officials of 3SFBn said they discovered the plan of the NPA and its support groups in the area to stage the ‘"taktikang bakwit" to pave way for their eventual demand for the removal of government forces in Diatagon.
The military described Diatagon as flashpoint for NPA activities where the communist rebel movement maintains militia and mass-based underground organizations, as well as rebel-linked schools that operate outside of government regulations.
Over the years, the military has accused MAPASU and leftist human rights group Karapatan of assisting the NPA organized "staged evacuations."
Postponed projects
Punsalan said the recent NPA harassments among the IP communities in the area -- including the latest attempt to stage yet another mass evacuation -- has caused the postponement of a planned inspection for the establishment of an IP school by the Department of Education (DepEd).
"The government will establish IP schools to replace the inactive, non-DepEd accredited and alleged communist-influenced school of Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur (TRIFPSS) in the area," he added.
Punsalan said it was clear that MAPASU, Karapatan, and other leftist groups did not want the DepEd to establish government-accredited schools for IP children in the area.
Lt. Col. Joey Baybayan, 3SFBn commander, said the harassments conducted by the NPA were also aimed at stopping the scheduled "service caravan: of the government in the area.
“Aside from the defenseless civilians, officials from the local government of Lianga are also threatened by the recent harassments made by the NPA in the area. The implementation of the service caravan, as well as the site inspection for the IP school were delayed,” Baybayan said in a separate statement issued Saturday.
The Army official recalled that during a recent dialogue, MAPASU leaders were offered by Surigao del Sur Gov. Alexander Pimentel to have their schools accredited but they refused.
Baybayan alleged that MAPASU was worried about the repercussions of establishing a DepEd school in the area, such as the discovery by parents and residents of their continuing exploitation of the IP children.
“This is a crucial point. This kind of situation will define the character and leadership of our local government officials and will test their commitment to End Local Communist Armed Conflict through delivering basic social services despite CNTs (Communist New People’s Army Terrorists) threats,” Baybayan said.
In the same statement, Col. Allan Hambala, the Army's 401st Infantry Brigade commander, said the military will continue to "perform its duty to assist the LGUs and line agencies of the government."
“We are always ready to answer the call of duty to support the implementation of Executive Order 70 to end this conflict in our area of responsibility,” Hambala said, referring to President Rodrigo's directive to institute the "whole-of-nation" approach to address the insurgency problem in the countryside.
NPA condemned
Meanwhile, Director Ferdausi Cerna of the National Commission on Indigenous People in Caraga (NCIP-13) condemned the NPA rebels for the harassment on Manobo residents in Diatagon.
“I highly condemn the assault made by the NPA to some of the residents in Diatagon,” Cerna said in a text message to PNA on Sunday.
He added that despite the efforts of the government to address the root causes of the insurgency, "many of those who are influenced by the NPA remains insincere and continue to adhere to a perverted ideology."
“How can we establish a sphere of genuine dialogue that seeks to sow the seeds of peace in this land if, in the first place, we lock ourselves by keeping a blind eye to the need for such?” Cerna asked.
The NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1095246
Hawudon Jumar Bucales, the Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of Lianga town, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Sunday that the Manobo families from Sitio Simuwao (Kilometer 9) in Barangay Diatagon have temporarily settled in nearby Sitio Neptune on Saturday.
“The harassment on February 21 in Sitio Emerald that hurt three civilians was purposely done by the NPA (New People's Army) to trigger an evacuation among the civilians. They then blamed the military. That was the strategy,” Bucales said.
Staged evacuations
He was referring to the supposed tactic commonly employed by the NPA dubbed as "taktikang bakwit" (evacuation tactic) which involves accusing the military of abuses to force government forces out of the area.
“I condemn this destructive practice of ‘taktikang bakwit’ of the NPA. It is destroying the Manobo tribe of Lianga, especially our children,” Bucales said, adding that the evacuees have already received initial food and other assistance from the military.
Bucales said that in contrast to previous "staged evacuations" perpetrated by the NPA, the 35 families did not join the Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa mga Sumusunod (MAPASU), the leftist indigenous people's group accused by the military as working with communist rebels to organize previous mass evacuations.
"They are now aware that they will only be used by MAPASU and the NPA. They preferred to settle in Sitio Neptune with their families because there is an Army detachment in the area,” the tribal leader said, adding the MAPASU group have evacuated to Sitio Han-ayan (Kilometer 16), also in Diatagon.
1Lt. Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan, civil-military operations (CMO) officer of the Army's 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn), said the NPA's latest "taktikang bakwit" appeared to have backfired.
“The scripted ‘taktikang bakwit’ is now happening but with some twist. Only the leaders and members of MAPASU from Kilometer 9, Diatagon went to Sitio Han-ayan (Kilometer 16) after the NPA harassed and injured three civilians in Sitio Emerald last February 21,” Punsalan told the PNA on Saturday.
It can be recalled that in a statement on February 26, top officials of 3SFBn said they discovered the plan of the NPA and its support groups in the area to stage the ‘"taktikang bakwit" to pave way for their eventual demand for the removal of government forces in Diatagon.
The military described Diatagon as flashpoint for NPA activities where the communist rebel movement maintains militia and mass-based underground organizations, as well as rebel-linked schools that operate outside of government regulations.
Over the years, the military has accused MAPASU and leftist human rights group Karapatan of assisting the NPA organized "staged evacuations."
Postponed projects
Punsalan said the recent NPA harassments among the IP communities in the area -- including the latest attempt to stage yet another mass evacuation -- has caused the postponement of a planned inspection for the establishment of an IP school by the Department of Education (DepEd).
"The government will establish IP schools to replace the inactive, non-DepEd accredited and alleged communist-influenced school of Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur (TRIFPSS) in the area," he added.
Punsalan said it was clear that MAPASU, Karapatan, and other leftist groups did not want the DepEd to establish government-accredited schools for IP children in the area.
Lt. Col. Joey Baybayan, 3SFBn commander, said the harassments conducted by the NPA were also aimed at stopping the scheduled "service caravan: of the government in the area.
“Aside from the defenseless civilians, officials from the local government of Lianga are also threatened by the recent harassments made by the NPA in the area. The implementation of the service caravan, as well as the site inspection for the IP school were delayed,” Baybayan said in a separate statement issued Saturday.
The Army official recalled that during a recent dialogue, MAPASU leaders were offered by Surigao del Sur Gov. Alexander Pimentel to have their schools accredited but they refused.
Baybayan alleged that MAPASU was worried about the repercussions of establishing a DepEd school in the area, such as the discovery by parents and residents of their continuing exploitation of the IP children.
“This is a crucial point. This kind of situation will define the character and leadership of our local government officials and will test their commitment to End Local Communist Armed Conflict through delivering basic social services despite CNTs (Communist New People’s Army Terrorists) threats,” Baybayan said.
In the same statement, Col. Allan Hambala, the Army's 401st Infantry Brigade commander, said the military will continue to "perform its duty to assist the LGUs and line agencies of the government."
“We are always ready to answer the call of duty to support the implementation of Executive Order 70 to end this conflict in our area of responsibility,” Hambala said, referring to President Rodrigo's directive to institute the "whole-of-nation" approach to address the insurgency problem in the countryside.
NPA condemned
Meanwhile, Director Ferdausi Cerna of the National Commission on Indigenous People in Caraga (NCIP-13) condemned the NPA rebels for the harassment on Manobo residents in Diatagon.
“I highly condemn the assault made by the NPA to some of the residents in Diatagon,” Cerna said in a text message to PNA on Sunday.
He added that despite the efforts of the government to address the root causes of the insurgency, "many of those who are influenced by the NPA remains insincere and continue to adhere to a perverted ideology."
“How can we establish a sphere of genuine dialogue that seeks to sow the seeds of peace in this land if, in the first place, we lock ourselves by keeping a blind eye to the need for such?” Cerna asked.
The NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1095246
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