Bernardo, a mother of a six-year-old child, was in Davao City while Elio, joined a Katribu Partylist sortie in the town proper of Sta. Cruz.
The seven said the charges filed against them are fabricated and meant to harass. They are active in organizations in their respective localities.
Elacion also suspected the charges are meant to restrain him from opposing military activities in Sibulan. He had been opposed to the creation of the Barangay Defense System (BDS) in the area. He said military personnel have compelled residents to build a BDS detachment, where residents had to take turn guarding the post 24 hours a day.
Elacion has been appointed chairperson of their local farmers organization NAMAS or Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Sibulan (United Farmers of Sibulan (Namas).
Bernardo, a half B’laan, said her opposition to the 39th IB’s activities in Barangay Zone 1 had something to do with the charges she is facing.
Bernardo recalled having several altercations with soldiers belonging to the 39th IB some time within November 2008 to February 2009, where she said, soldiers “lived among civilians in Barangay Zone 1 four months at that time.”
Bernardo is a member of the Patulangon Farmers Association or Patufa. “I’m not afraid,” she said. “What they accuse us of is a big lie.”
Lumana also had similar altercations with the military.
As a chairperson of Ufasac-Anakpawis, he was part of those who fought against the ongoing construction of Hedcor’s Sibulan Hydropower Plant in Sitio Tudaya in Sta. Cruz town’s Barangay Sibulan. The local resistance was met by increased military presence.
Piadapo, a Kaolo tribe is a member of Patulangon Farmers Association and Pasing Lopez is a member of the United Farmers of Santa Cruz (Ufasac).
Elio, a Bagobo veterinarian, currently chairs Pasaka, a lumad organization in Southern Mindanao. Elsio said the charges against them are clearly malicious and are based on pure hearsay. “We also suspect that this is rooted on our current efforts to promote the Katribu Partylist in Sta. Cruz,” Elio said.
The Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) has taken up the case. The seven residents, assisted by UPLM, filed their counter-affidavits last Monday at a court in Digos City, Davao del Sur. (Cheryll D. Fiel/ davaotoday.com)
