Posts by tag: Human Rights

As strong words flow and fighting continues in the city, for evacuees living off at city’s main grandstand, they only have memories of their ordeal and a craving to survive.

Two days after the Philippine government called for an end to violence and a militant lawmaker urged for the resumption of peace negotiations with communist rebels, seven government troops were hurt by explosives purportedly detonated by the New People’s Army at dawn Tuesday in Pantukan town, Compostela Valley.

The country’s largest oil palm plantation based in Agusan del Sur rehired its 293 workers who were ‘unjustly’ terminated last year after a 62-day strike, the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) reported.

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.

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.

Part 1 in a 3-part series

While the streets of Davao reverberated with dances and chants during the Kadayawan parade over the weekend, 500 Lumad evacuees saluted their own escape from threats to their lives and safety.

The other day, more or less 500 Agusanon Manbo from Loreto, Agusan del Sur sought refuge in the City of Davao, not to rejoice for the “good harvests” as the city annually celebrates KADAYAWAN, but to tell their stories of fear, anger and desire for justice, peace, equity and inclusion.

This Agusanon Manobo family sleeps off their exhaustion in Bankeohan Gym after riding eight hours to Davao City to seek refuge. Some 500 Manobos fled their village in Loreto, Agusan del Sur from military troops 24, and were not welcomed by their governor when they sought his help. (davaotoday.com photo by MEDEL V. HERNANI)

“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).”

JOHN RIZLE L. SALIGUMBA
Davao Today

The Agusanons endured a grueling two-day travel circuiting two provinces. Starting Thursday, they walked four hours from their evacuation center in Barangay Kauswagan, Loreto, Agusan del Sur, crossed a river to reach the neighboring Laak, Compostela Valley. Then they took a bus that brought them to Tagum City in Davao del Norte at night. Friday morning they traveled to Prosperidad and held a camp-in until provincial officials responded.The Agusanons took this circuitous route to steer clear of the military.