Villagers flee after tribal leader's killing in southern Philippines

From UCA News (Oct 28): Villagers flee after tribal leader's killing in southern Philippines

Manobo community says government-backed paramilitary group responsible for multiple attacks

Some 1,600 Manobo tribal villagers have fled their homes in the mountains of Surigao del Sur province after armed men killed a tribal leader, shot at homes, and burned houses and school buildings.

The military said it has launched an "intense offensive" against communist New People's Army rebels in at least three hinterland villages of Lianga town in the southern Philippines, but denied committing atrocities against residents.

"These allegations are meant to smear the reputation of the military," said Major Christian Uy, an army spokesman.

Uy, however, told ucanews.com that the military operation might have sparked the evacuation of villagers.

The tribesmen fled their homes after the killing of tribal leader Henry Alameda, 44, allegedly by a government-backed paramilitary unit in the village of San Isidro.

Alameda was leader of the group Continuing Struggle for the Next Generation, known by the Tagalog acronym Mapasu, which has been vocal in opposing plans to mine the Manobos' ancestral land.

Human rights group Karapatan reported that on the same day Alameda was killed, gunmen believed to belong to the Bagani paramilitary group also shot at a village official and his son in the village of San Lorenzo. The attack resulted in the death of Alden Dumaguit, 21, and the wounding of his father, village chieftain Undo.

The armed men also shot at houses in the village, injuring two other men and a child.
Onel Campos, spokesman of Mapasu, said the soldiers entered the villages on Friday and ransacked a village store, burned a corn husking machine donated by the Red Cross and destroyed a community school.

"The lives of our people are in danger," Campos told ucanews.com in a telephone interview.

"We are trying to assess the damage but presently we have identified more or less five houses that were destroyed or damaged either in the fire or during the strafing," Naty Castro, secretary general of Karapatan, told ucanews.com.

Captain Jasper Gacayan, an army spokesman, told ucanews.com "that these incidents happened, but our soldiers are not involved in these activities".

"The military is adhering to the International Humanitarian Law. If any witness can help identify the perpetrators, we are willing to help," he said.

He also confirmed the existence of the group Bagani, but denied that it is a paramilitary unit. Rather, he said, it is a group of tribal warriors formed by another tribal group as a "self-defense" mechanism against communist rebels.

"We backed up the Bagani because they are also victims of human rights violations and it is our mandate to protect communities form violence," Gacayan said.

http://www.ucanews.com/news/villagers-flee-after-tribal-leaders-killing-in-southern-philippines/72274