By NITZ ARANCON Correspondent NEGOTIATIONS between a group of evacuees and the military initiated by the capitol reached a stalement yesterday as the Army rejected a call for soldiers to be pulled out from Sitio Mincamansi, Barangay Banglay in Lagonglong town, Misamis Oriental. Some 160 people fled their homes in Mincamasi and sought refuge at the capitol grounds on Wednesday for fear that they would get caught in the crossfires due to fresh skirmishes. During the negotiations at the capitol yesterday, the 58th Infantry Battalion turned down the request of the evacuees for soldiers to stop setting up camp in Mincamansi. The dialogue was called by provincial administrator Jocelyn Mateo held at the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO). 1Lt. Janelle Diaz, the 58th IB representative, said, “Dili gyud puwede ang inyong gipangayo kay na-a pa kami sa clearing operations sa pagka karon.” Diaz said clearing operations were also being done in Mincamansi’s neighboring areas. She said soldiers recently found an improvise explosive devise (IED) hidden by the NPA in Sitio Lumbia near Mincamansi during one of the clearing operations. Sarisa Acosta, spokesperson of the Tagtagolon Tribes Association, said the crude bomb was found by the military in a sitio very far from Mincamansi. “Kong ila mang gipangita kana nga explosive, didto ra unta sila magkampo sa Sitio Lumbia, dili diha sa among sitio, kay mobakwit gyud kami kon na-a na sila sa among lugar,” Acosta said. Former provincial board member Oscar, who is lawyering for the lumad group, asked the military to move out and to stop turning Mincamansi into a military camp. “Ang ilang gipangayo, nga ang mga sundalo dili lang unta magpondo sa ilang komunidad kay mahadlok man sila nga ma-ipit kon magka encounter sila sa mga NPA,” Musni said. Jomorito Goaynon, chairman of Kalumbay in northern Mindanao, said the villagers did not have a problem with soldiers passing by. But to set up camp there is another thing, he said. “OK ra kon ang mga sundalo molabay lang diha sa ilang komunidad kay agi-anan man pud nang Sitio Mincamansi kay sa magpondo gyud sila diha,” Goaynon said. Mateo said the capitol would call for another dialogue on April 7 in the hope of brokering an agreement between the military and the evacuees. “Dili na nato ni mahuman karon so mag-meet ta sa sunod simana, kay aron hulaton ang reports sa 58th IB kon nahuman na ba sila og clearing operations,” Mateo said. In the meantime, Mateo said the evacuees were welcome to stay at the capitol grounds. “Welcome kamo dinhi sa kapitolyo, ug andam kami mo tabang kaninyo sa inyong mga gikinahanglan, samtang dili pa kamo makabalik sa inyong sitio, tungod sa clearing operation sa military,” Mateo said. Among those who attended the dialogue were Lagonglong Mayor Jay Albert Puertas, lawyer Czarina Musni, PDRRMO chief Fernando Vincent Dy, Provincial Social Welfare and Development chief Emelda Andrea, and lawyer Marites Sangual.