While an international monitoring group points to increased armed conflict between the military and the communist rebels as the culprit of the Lumads’ dislocation, the heart of the matter is the Lumads’ right to control over their rich ancestral domain.
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Before the Agusanon Manobos were displaced due to intense military operations in this province, they were Typhoon Pablo survivors who had to rebuild all over again their ravaged houses and damaged farms.
“Unsaon namo pag-uli nga naa pa may gyera didto sa amoa?(How are we going home when there’s still a war going on there?)” said Jocely Andaliki “At least diri, safety among paminaw, di pareha didto sa amoa nga giabog mi mismo sa among gobernor, (Here, we feel safe, not like there where our governor drove us out).”
Some 400 Manobos refused an order from Agusan del Sur Governor Edward Plaza to leave the capitol compound and dialog with the Philippine Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion in their villages in Loreto town.
By DAVAO TODAY Hanimay Suazo of Karapatan Southern Mindanao who was with the medical team coming from Davao said there was chaos as they wanted to talk to provincial government officials to calm down the situation, especially when the adults were contained later by the police away from the children awaiting them. “They still have not eaten, it was like they were placed in a concentration camp,” exclaimed Suazo.