DAVAO CITY – The military and the National Police blocked and searched the belongings of more than 100 tribal members from Agusan del Sur towns of San Nicolas, Talacogon and San Luis, who were on their way to a protest action , a group claimed Thursday.
About 15 soldiers from the 26th Infantry Battalion “harassed and attempted to block 122 lumad people from Balit, San Luis, Agusan del Sur from joining the Tambuli Tu Kalinow-Kampohan sa Butuan (Call for peace-Camping in Butuan),” said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Caraga in a statement.
Around 350 indigenous peoples and farmers were staging a camp-out protest in Butuan City Sports Complex, Libertad, Butuan City to call for a stop on militarization in their communities and to disband private armies.
