Manobos in Surigao flee homes

LIANGA, Surigao del Sur — Some 2,000 Manobo lumads from nine hinterland communities of this town fled their homes anew, fearing an imminent military operation and stricter checkpoints by government forces.

Residents started evacuating last Thursday after noticing the presence of military helicopters and a bomber plane hovering around their villages a day before, said Bishop Modesto Villasanta of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, chairman of the human rights group Karapatan in Surigao del Sur.

Around 200 students of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (Alcadev), Inc. and 43 volunteer teachers of five Tribal Filipino Community Schools run by the Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur, also evacuated. A total of 633 Lumad students are affected with the suspension of classes due to the evacuation.

Military troops belonging to the 75th IBPA, 36th IBPA and 6th Special Forces Battalion, have been conducting military operations in the Lumad communities of Lianga, San Miguel and San Agustin, Surigao del Sur since July 3.

A stricter military checkpoint was placed in front of the military detachment in Post 1, Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga, requiring residents and visitors to the schools to show their ID or write their names in a logbook since President Rodrigo Duterte’s martial law declaration last May 23.

The nine communities currently dislocated just started rebuilding their farms, homes and schools after they, along with 17 other Lumad communities, were forced to evacuate for a year in Tandag City last September 1, 2015 after the killing of Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod (Mapasu) chairperson Dionel Campos, Kiwagan Datu Juvello Sinzo and Alcadev Executive Director Emerito Samarca. The massacre was perpetrated by members of a paramilitary group who were then accompanying operating troops of the 75th IBPA.

The evacuees, are curently staying at the Simowao Tribal Community School in Barangay Diatagon. (caraga watch)