Lumads dismayed by military presence at dialogue
By Kriztja Marae G. LabradorJuly 15, 2015
Sunstar Davao
WHAT was supposedly a mediation to resolve issues confronting lumads from Talaingod, Kapalong, and Bukidnon areas with members of concerned government agencies turned out to be a confrontation, as it resulted in verbal exchange between tribal leaders and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The dialogue, held at UCCP Haran Evacuation Center, was organized by North Cotabato Representative Nancy Catamco and participated in by Partylist Representatives Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela, Karlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, and officials from the National Commission on Indigenous People's (NCIP), Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Commission on Human Rights.
The evacuation center has been housing around 700 lumads from the areas since May, as they refused to go home due to continuous military presence in the area.
During the dialogue, Catamco told lumad evacuees that the main purpose of the initiative was to send them back home. But she failed to inform lumads ahead of time that officers from the AFP were to join the dialogue.
"Hindi ito dialogue, confrontation na. May trauma sila tapos binigla ninyo," Zarate told Catamco at the sidelines of the dialogue.
"That is not how to conduct a dialogue, kung dialogue unta dili nimo paawayun ang mga tao (you do not make people quarrel) and I also pity the leaders who became helpless who were not able to assert so it became a monologue not a dialogue," Ilagan said in a separate interview, adding there should be a consent from the lumads before bringing the military to join the said dialogue.
But members of the AFP represented by Army's 1003rd Brigade commander Colonel Harold Cabreros and deputy commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command Brigadier General Alexander Balutan said during the dialogue that this call of the lumads is not possible as of the moment, as the military's role in the area is to protect the equipment of the projects being constructed in the said area.
At the middle of the supposed mediation, Ilagan, and Zarate suggested to conduct another dialogue in a separate area in order to avoid further commotion.
"The reason we suggested we go elsewhere to conduct a dialogue for us to come up with something productive naa tay maresolve dili lang tong heightened emotions, agitated imung audience naturally government agencies were made to feel defensive na what have you been doing na naa lang man pud," Ilagan said.
As of press time Wednesday, lumad leaders, together with militant group members Ilagan and Zarate, walked out during their second dialogue together with Catamco and AFP officers held at Apo View Hotel.
Lumads say paramilitary men remain as threat
By Christine Joice CudisJuly 15, 2015
Sunstar Davao
"Ma'am kung gusto namo muuli, makauli mi karon dayon, ang among problema dili mi luwas didto sa amoang lugar kay naay military (We can go home anytime we want Ma'am. Our problem is we are not safe in our own community because of the presence of the military there)," said a lumad when asked by Representative Nancy Catamco why they still choose to stay even after offered the permit to operate (PTO).
Brigadier General Alexander Balutan, deputy commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said they cannot pull out the military force in the area since they are supposed to guard the construction of roads.
He said it is for the lumads to experience the services of the government.
The Department of Public Works and Highways is spending an estimate of P14 billion on the roads, buildings, and infrastructures on areas near the lumad communities in Kapalong, Talaingod, and Bukidnon.
The military is guarding the construction of these projects to protect the equipment and to ensure that the projects will be completed.
"Binabantayan namin yung project from the NPA. Kasi ang nangyayari ay extortion," Brigadier General Balutan said.
He said the NPA is afraid that if the government will provide the people better goods, they (people) will eventually side with them.
This earned a mouthful from Gabriela Partylist Representative Luzviminda Ilagan.
"Who's development are we talking about? Para kanino yang kalsada, para kanino yang malalaking project? May papasok nga kasi na mga malalaking kompanya, kailangan ba ng lumad ng malapad na sementado na kalsada, farm to market road will be okay pero hindi yun ang ginagawa eh," she said.
Ilagan said the lumads' problem is easy to understand. "Simple lang naman ang request ng lumad sector, which is to pull out the Alamara, stop organizing the Alamara," she said.
Alamara is a paramilitary group composed of indigenous peoples themselves organized by the military to harass their fellow lumads.
Ilagan clarified that it is not the job of the military to guard backhoes and other equipment for construction but to secure the safety of the people from external threats.
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