Soldiers ‘harassing’ Tagtabolon evacuees: monitors

By GERALD LEIGH LAQUINON
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents

Tagtabolon and human rights groups yesterday condemned what they alleged as the “continued harassment” by soldiers of tribal villagers who evacuated in Lagonglong town, Misamis Oriental.

In a press conference, the Kalumbay and Tagtabolon Lumad organizations, and Karapatan Northern Mindanao, decried the encampment of elements of the 58th Infantry Battalion outside the municipal gym that has been turned into an evacuation area.

“They seem not contended with harassing us in our community that pushed us into fleeing our homes, that even in the gym we are tailed for further persecution,” said Nenita Helogon, secretary general of Tagtabolon.

Helogon said government troops that came in eight 6×6 military trucks set up makeshift tents around the government facility and are now conducting various activities.

The groups called for the immediate pullout of 58th Infantry Battalion troops from the villages.

“Nahadlok kami sa sigig boto-boto didto sa among lugar, mao nang nangbakwit kami,” said Helogon.

Helogon said 217 villagers fled their homes in sitios Tapol and Camansi in Barangay Banglay in July 5 for fear of being caught in the crossfires after 13 troops led by one 2Lt. Valleser arrived. The soldiers, she said, were to stay in their village for two weeks.

She said it was the fourth time the villagers were forced to evacuate their communities due to “militarization” since October 2014.

The group insisted that the military violated a previous agreement.

“We condemn the 4th ID for its flagrant violation of the agreement,” Helogon said.

Helogon said the agreement was made during a dialogue with Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano and Camp Evangelista spokesman Capt. Patrick Martinez in 2015.

It was agreed that soldiers will not stay in sitios Camansi and Tapol, said Roger Planas, secretary general of Kalumbay-Northern Mindanao.

Planas said it was ironic that indigenes who are seeking temporary refuge at a government facility were being further “victimized” by the military.

“Morag nagduda man tingali ang mga sundalo nga mga rebilde kining mga bakwiter. Ma-o nay dili maayo tan-awon kay  mibawik naman gani  ang mga lumad,  gisundan pa sa mga sundalo. Nganong dili man rebilde ang ilang pangita-on sa bukid?” said Planas.

The group said the soldiers were also showing films, staging concerts and other programs while setting up checkpoints on the highway in Lagonglong. Soldiers, they alleged, were also asking donations from motorists and commuters on behalf of the the evacuees “just to save face and to further intimidate us with their presence.”

“They even gave us leaflets of different weapons and their respective cash prices, saying that we can surrender to them and claim our reward,” said Helogon, crying foul on the insinuation that they have firearms.

Food packs were also distributed by the military to the evacuees but only if they subject themselves to interrogation, Helogon said.

Meanwhile, Karapatan gave the military a failing grade for allegedly violating the supposed agreement among the military, the capitol, and the Tagtabolon.

The group alleged that soldiers turned a blind eye to international humanitarian laws and the Comprehensive Agreement for the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (Carhrihl).

“It’s unacceptable that the military is bastardizing these agreements signed between the government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, at the expense of civilians,” said Fr. Christopher Ablon, Karapatan secretary general for northern Mindanao.

Ablon said it was commendable for the indigenes to collectively evacuate in order “to avoid torture, killings, harassments and intimidations by the military without the knowledge of the public, and that this is more preferable rather than they all go to the mountains to join the New People’s Army.”

Ablon asked the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to attend to the plight of the indigenous people who are “always victimized by militarization that only serves the entry of big mining, multi-national plantations and other anti-people projects.”