A 50 year old farmer we call Simon (not his real name) said he was constantly afraid for his family because he feared that guns and explosives the military brought in the area might accidentally blow off.
Simon has lived in Valma all his life. He refused to identify himself for fear of being harassed by soldiers. He said that soldiers pulled out two standing cannons in the area just days before Davao Today arrived to confirm reports of military presence. Simon said that the soldiers parked the cannons in the playground beside the tank.
Another resident, Emong, 41, said the soldiers were not really “abusive” but their presence definitely constricted their movement. He said he lived in constant fear of being watched when military men were around. He told his family to strictly adhere to this curfew.
According to Simon, the military imposed curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Another resident who lived in Valma since 1971 when he got a job in the now defunct logging company, Soriano, 59, said that soldiers had asked permission from the Valma landowners and that they were allowed to stay temporarily in Valma for two years.
Fe delos Reyes, assistant regional director of the Department of Education (DepEd), said she didn’t hear of any report from their Nabunturan district office about the soldiers’ encampment in the school.
“Military encampment inside the school premises is definitely not allowed,” she said, citing the DepEd service manual. She added, however, that there may be “mitigating circumstances” as to why the military encamped in Compostela.
During a recent visit to Valma, Davao Today saw two tanks and three military trucks parked across the public elementary school. There were also makeshift bunks in the playground. Residents claim these bunks serve as the soldiers’ sleeping quarters and were constructed by the soldiers from salvaged local materials. Other soldiers also occupy what used to be the Valma hospital, while others rent spaces from residents in the community. (CJ Kuizon/ davaotoday.com)
