By FROILAN GALLARDO
Contributor
AN internal report made by the Army’s 4th Infantry Division on the number of Bagani fighters revealed that there are at least eight armed groups operating in Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur.
Included in the report entitled as “Profile on the Indigenous People (IP) Bagani in 4ID AOR” is the Jomar Bocales and Tejero-Belandres armed group, suspect in the Sept. 1 killing of a lumad school director and two others in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
The killings sparked the evacuation of over 3,000 residents after the gunmen killed Emerito Samarca, 54, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Livelihood Development (Alcadev), a school for lumads and NGO leaders Dionel Campos and Bello Sinzo.
Police have filed multiple murder, arson, robbery and grave threats at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Surigao del Sur against Bobby Tejero, his older brother Loloy or Abab, Gareto Layno, and several John Does of the Bagani paramilitary group who were held responsible for the killings.
The army report said the Tejero brothers are part of the Bagani armed groups that is led by Jomar Bocales, a Manobo tribal chieftain, that operates in the towns of Lianga, Barobo, San Miguel and San Agustin in Surigao del Sur.
“Although the group is under the leadership of Jomar Bocales, the most vocal warriors are the groups of Bobby Tejero and Marcial Melendrez (another former NPA rebel),” the report said.
Bocales admitted that Bobby Tejero, his brother Loly and Layno, used to be part of the armed group he formed with Datu Calpit Egua in October 2014.
He said he and the Tejero brothers, including Layno, had a falling out when their group leader, Hassan Flores, rejoined the New People’s Army (NPA) in Surigao del Sur, bringing five high-powered firearms in July 11.
NPA commander Ka Emman confirmed that Flores returned to their ranks, bringing the firearms he seized from Bocales and Tejero brothers.
The military report also identified the armed group led by Datu Calpit Egua operating in the towns of Bayugan and Prosperidad in Agusan del Sur, and San Miguel in Surigao del Sur.
Aside from the armed group of Calpit, the military report also identified several others with Datu Jasmin: Datu Alah, Datu Benhur Mansalunay, and Datu Sunjay.
Bocales said Calpit, who is his uncle, is the richest among the datus having a gold ore mining site in the boundary of Barangay La Purisima in Prosperidad town and Barangay San Juan in Bayugan town, all in Agusan del Sur.
He said it was Calpit, not the military, who was arming the Baganis after the NPA’s failed attempt to overrun his camp in Barangay Sta. Irene, Prosperidad town in July 2014.
Calpit was wounded but his brother, Nestor, was killed in the attack that also resulted in the death of over 13 rebels.
Barobo, Surigao del Sur assistant parish priest Fr. Glen Acosta said townsfolk told him that the camp of Datu Jasmin is located near an Army detachment in Barangay Mamis, Barobo town.
In the report, Jasmin is described as “sympathetic with government forces, especially to the Philippine Army.”
At least one armed group—the Datu Alah tribal group—was described by the report having been “augmented by elements of the PNP Surigao del Sur Provincial Office” to restore order in Barangay Pantukan in San Miguel town.
The report also identified logging and rattan-cutting operations as the main source of livelihood for most of the Bagani armed groups especially those with Datu Benhur Mansalunay.
Several violent incidents involving these groups were mentioned in the report, notably the seizure of mining equipment of CNC mining Co. in Carrascal town where the Baganis demanded a P24-million ransom last May 11, 2015.
The report also said several NPA datus, including Barangay Pantukan chief Romel Alah of Carrascal town, were killed by the NPA rebels.
Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar has called for the disbandment and disarming of all paramilitary groups that are accused of sowing terror in lumad communities sympathetic to the NPA rebels.
Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel has urged the Army to disband the Baganis, calling the group “a security threat to the residents.”
The Army has denied that it is supporting and arming the Bagani armed groups.
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
