By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .
THE military yesterday urged evacuees from Lagonglong town who have camped out at the capitol grounds to return to their village even as it expressed suspicion that there were groups behind the evacuation in an effort to discredit the government.
Officials assured the evacuees that Sitio Kamansi in Barangay Banglay has already been cleared by the Army.
Lt. Tere Ingente, 4th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the villagers from Kamansi have nothing to fear even as she assured them of their safety.
Ingente expressed suspicion that the villagers who fled Kamansi were merely being used by certain groups for propaganda against the military.
“I call on everyone not to be deceived by the exploiters behind the evacuation,” she said.
The evacuees were being supported by the Lumad organization Kalumbay, and the Tagtabolon Tribes Organization represented by Sariza Acosta.
Ingente said Kamansi was declared safe and clear by 58th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Roy Anthony Derilo as early as May 31.
The evacuees fled their village in May 26, a day before soldiers and New People’s Army started clashing again in the village. The fierce encounter resulted in the deaths of two suspected rebels.
Ingente said the evacuees were informed about Derilo’s declaration during a June 2 dialogue in Barangay Lumbo, Lagonglong.
But instead of returning to Kamansi, Ingente said, the military was surprised to learned that the group went to Cagayan de Oro and camped out at the capitol grounds the following night, June 3.
She said Camp Evangelista now suspects that Acosta’s group has received funds so that the evacuees would continue to stay at the capitol grounds.
“We should look into who funded the evacuation and who gave them the vehicles to be able to travel more or less 70 kilometers from Lagonglong to Cagayan de Oro,” Ingente said.
She also denied claims made by Acosta that soldiers from the 58th IB have set up camp near Kamansi.
Ingente said the soldiers have kept their distance from the village or some two kilometers away.
“Gidid-an lang sa among policy ang mga sundalo nga magkampo 500 meters gikan sa community, apan kini ilang kampo sa 58th IB, layo ra kaayo,” she said.
Ingente said the soldiers were sent to the area to help in the road development project of the Lagonglong town government.
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