Displaced indigenes camp out at capitol grounds

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

SOME 60 indigenous families from Claveria town in Misamis Oriental camped out at the capitol grounds to pressure officials to have a dialogue with them.

The group, New Indigenous Barangay Plaridel Farmers’ Association (Nibpfa) from Barangay Plaridel, Claveria, claimed its members were victims of an alleged illegal demolition.

Abeto Nicaranum, the group’s president, said their members decided to camp out at the capitol grounds to dramatize their grievances, and to make local officials and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the Claveria police Station and a court sheriff to explain the demolition.

“Makig-dialogue kami sa mga ahensiya sa gobyerno nga nagtinabangay pag-demolish sa amo. Dili kami mohawa dinhi kung walay dialogue nga mahitabo,” he said.

Nicaranum said they sought justice for the alleged demolition of some 46 houses at Zone 7B in Barangay Plaridel, Claveria town, Misamis Oriental in July 12. He said they decided to abandon their farms after the demolition team was allowed by town and barangay officials to build a perimeter fence around the 281 hectares property.

“The area was awarded to us. It was a public and timberland. Kami na unta ang naka-plastar diha,” Nicaranum claimed.

According to Nibpfa, 115 of the 281 hectares are alienable and disposable (A and D) public land, while 109 hectares and the remaining 43 hectares were awarded by the DAR to the farmers under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) and Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reform (Carper).

Nicaranum called on the capitol to facilitate the dialogue they wanted to take place.

Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas local chairperson Ireneo Udarbe condemned the demolition, calling it “inhumane.”

“The farmers were sprayed with tear gas and struck with truncheons. The farmers’ mobile phones were also confiscated by the police. The phones captured the violent dispersal on video,” he said.