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The human rights group Karapatan here has blamed the deployment of several Philippine Army battalions in the Davao Region for evacuation and complaints of alleged harassment of villagers in the hinterlands.

“Ang gusto gyud ni mayor unta kung pwede mubalik ang mga Lumad og mga evacuees didto sa Brgy.Palma Gil, didto sa safe area nato, dayun i-assure ni mayor ang pagkaon og tanan makaya ihatag sa gobyerno. (The mayor wants the Lumad evacuees to return to Barangay Palma Gil, in a safe place. The Mayor also assures that there would be food and other relief goods to be provided for them),” Tocmo told the leaders.

“The challenge is how to implement it. The RH Law may appear to be pro-women but the other policies of government are anti-women, such as the privatization of public hospitals, and the other policy of the Department of Health of no home-birthing,” Ilagan said.

The New People’s Army (NPA) announced Sunday they are intensifying their total log ban campaign in Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte and Agusan del Sur, starting with the capture of a “protector” of big loggers—a soldier belonging to the 72nd Infantry Battalion.

A return to the “militarized areas” is also a violation to international human rights instruments, said Bishop Felixberto Calang, of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and chairperson of Barug Katungod Mindanao.

“Assuming I will be president and things are status quo; there will still be Congress and Civil Service, the Human Rights (Commission) and Ombudsman. Now with this Congress, you have to beg and make horse-deals with them. You’ll be wasting your money paying me for six years where I can not make any meaningful change. I would just curse my way for six years,” Duterte said.

“It is what the police said, and what the deputy mayor (in the barangay) said. They wanted to keep this quiet. But this is a public issue; it may not be the whole truth but it has to come out,” Duterte said.

Residents pick-up materials they can use to repair their homes after a big fire engulfed around 3000 houses in Barangays 23-C, 21 and 22 in Davao City Friday night. A total of 2,245 families were affected and are temporarily staying at nearby schools, according to the City Social Services and Development Office.

Human rights group Karapatan criticized government security elements for attempting to pull out and arrest its staff member during a protest caravan here on Thursday by alleging her as a New People’s Army leader.