By Lito Rulona
THE mayor of Lagonglong town yesterday called on the provincial government to facilitate the immediate return of evacuees from his town to their homes in the village of Kamansi after almost a week at the capitol grounds.
Mayor Manuel Pamisa said this following allegations the Lagonglong town government turned a blind eye to the plight of the villagers who fled their homes for fear of getting caught in the crossfires.
The evacuees earlier claimed they were forced to flee their village because of alleged harassments from soldiers, an allegation Camp Evangelista strongly denied. The military earlier said it sent troops to the village to clear the area because of a scheduled ceremonial switching for an electrification project of the government.
Pamisa called on Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano to send the evacuees home, saying the situation was under control and the town government was on top of the situation.
Pamisa said town officials tried to convince the evacuees to return but they wouldn’t.
He said the town government have funds available to provide aid to the evacuees, and can properly take care of the villagers’ needs.
Pamisa said last week’s evacuation to the capitol was sudden, and came as a surprise to him.
The evacuees were reportedly led to the capitol by barangay chairman Uniforte Redondo.
Emeliza Culita, spokesperson of the Tagtabolon Tribes Association, said earlier that the villagers fled their homes because soldiers from the Army’s 58th Infantry Battalion were harassing them and accusing them to be coddling New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.
Pamisa said the villagers have been receiving aid from the town government.
“Wala man lang sila nagpahibalo kanako, unya dali-dali ang ilang paglakaw gikan sa ilang barangay. Kinahanglan kini inbestigahan. Mitabang kami sa lungsod ngadto kanila apan wala ako masayod nga mo-evacuate sila,” he said.
Pamisa said the barangay, compared to other hinterland villages in his town, has been given much attention by him.
“Sayop kana nga ako silang gipasagdan. Sila mismo nasayod nga walay laing opisyal lokal nga naka-bisita sa ilang lugar. Ingnon ko sila nga ibalik akong katawhan kay akong atimanon,” he said. -lito rulona
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