Davao City Council to probe lumads in Haran evac center

DAVAO CITY — The Davao City Council will probe into the case of some 700 lumads who were allegedly displaced by military presence in their communities in Talaingod and Kapa-long in Davao del Norte and San Fernando, Bukid-non.

A joint committee hearing will be conducted between members of the indigenous peoples, civil, political and human rights organizations, and the council’s peace and public safety committee next week.

Councilor NiloAbellera Jr. said they will hear the different versions from the military and the tribal leaders at the Haran Evacuation Center, a facility run by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), where the lumads have been taking shelter since last May.

Abellera said they want to hear all sides so they can look into what the council can do to prevent what happened last July 23, wherein a “rescue operation” by an interagency group was accused as a move to force the lumads out of Haran, resulting in a commotion as the lumads refused to leave.

The interagency group was composed of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Davao City Police Office (DCPO).

Senior Insp. MilgraceDriz, spokesperson for DCPO, said 500 policemen were deployed, 150 of them from the Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD).

Military officers from the 10th Infantry Division were also invited at the session of the City Council Tuesday to explain their side on the alleged militarization and creation of the Alamara Group that resulted in the displacement of lumads.

Col. Jake Obligado, commander of 10ID’s Civil Military Operations, said the New People’s Army (NPA) penetrated Talaingod and Kapalong after Typhoon Pablo struck in 2012, damaging their bases in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley. (mindanews)