Military operations trigger evacuation

By BEN SERRANO
Correspondent

BUTUAN City–Hundreds of indigenes fled their homes in Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte, and Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte since last month as the military stepped up its offensives against the New People’s Army (NPA) in Caraga, tribal groups confirmed here on Thursday.

Gingging Anlagan, leader of the tribal group Kayapan Amihan, and tribal federation group Mapasu chairperson Imelda Balandres told a news conference here that members of the Mamanwa tribe started evacuating in Nov. 14 and Nov. 15.

They said they recorded more evacuations this Dec. 1.

They said they counted at least 207 Mamanwas or about 43 families who fled their homes in Sitio Bamban, Barangay Caman-onan, Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte and in hinterland tribal villages in Zapanta Valley, Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte.

The group claimed the military intensified its anti-NPA operations, shelling areas suspected to be under NPA control.

Anlagan said her group helped evacuees in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, and brought them to Sitio Bamban in Barangay Caman-onan, Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte.

Many of the evacuees are children, women and senior citizens, according to Anlagan.

Zapanta Valley in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, and sitios Bamban and Kalatingga, all in Barangay Caman-onan, Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte, are located hinterland villages adjacent to each other.

Balandres said her group was involved in relief operations, an have distributed clothing, food, medicines and other relief goods to evacuees.

She said many of the evacuees have already falled ill, and did not want to return to their homes for fear of getting caught in the crossfires.

Zapanta Valley barangay chairman Nonito Senonis confirmed the evacuations, and said Kitcharao town’s mayor was aware about the situation.

Capt. Angelo Gomez, 29th Infantry Battalion spokesperson, said he was unaware of any evacuation in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte.

Capt. Robert Florido, spokesperson of the 30th Infantry Battalion, denied that the military was shelling the area. He said the soldiers were in Bad-as, Placer, Surigao del Norte, and have yet to launch military operations in the area.

Florido said the soldiers operating in the Agusan del Norte side of Zapanta Valley could be from another Army battalion.

“What we are doing now are ordinary and routinary patrol operations only,” Florido said.

Florido however confirmed that there were evacuations from sitios Bamban and Kalatingga.

He said Gigaquit Mayor Arturo Egay Sr. and Inday Flor Bangga, barangay chair of Caman-onan, Gigaquit led relief operations for the evacuees.

“Actually, they are not really  evacuees because they are from the area. They just left their homes because of the encounters. But definitely, there was no bombing or shelling,” Florido said.