Lumad leader accuses Reds of being behind mass evacuations

By Nitz Arancon
Correspondent .

DATU Armando Bravo, founder and executive director of Lumad Mindanao Movement for Peace and Development, Inc., has accused the New People’s Army of being behind the mass evacuation of indigenous people from Sitio Camansi, Barangay Banglay, Lagonglong town in Misamis Oriental.

This, as his group, held a peace rally earlier this week at the capitol grounds near where the evacuees have encamped.

Bravo claimed that the leaders of the rebel group have been using Sariza Acosta, spokesperson of the Tagtabolon Tribes Organization to convince the indigenes to leave their homes and set up camp at the capitol grounds.

“Mao na ang kalaki sa mga NPA nga kon ma-ipit na, ila dayonng gamiton ang mga civilian nga mobakwit aron ilang pangayo-on nga mopahawa ang mga sundalo sa ilang komo-nidad,” Bravo said.

He claimed that this has always been their tactic even when he was still a commander of the NPA some 20 years before.

In 1996, Bravo, who originally hails from North Cotabato, reportedly surrendered to the authorities.

Bravo said his surrender became his inspiration in founding his non-government organization which is currently operating in the province of Bukidnon. He said he organized his NGO to express their gratitude for the benevolence of government, especially toward the indigenous peoples.

“Salamat ni President Duterte sa mga proyekto sa gobyerno nga mi-abot sa among mga komo-nidad, sama sa dalan, mga eskuwelahan, kur-yente mga panubig  ug daghan pa,” Bravo said.

A former commander of Front 26 Committee in Valencia City, Bukidnon, Mencieza said she surrendered in 2011 and became a soldier with the 4th Infantry Diamond Division which is based in Camp Evangelista, Barangay Patag, here.

Mencieza claimed she started as an NPA fighter at the age of 13 years old.

“Mao tong wala nako maka-graduate sa akong pag-eskwela kay nag-sigi mig bakwit-bakwit. Pero sa dihang mibalik nako sa poder sa gobyerno haya-hay na akong kinabuhi, wala nay mga sundalo nga naglakag nako,” Mencieza claimed.