The Manobo evacuees from Talaingod, Kapalong and Bukidnon who have sought refuge in Davao City are doubly victimized by the fascist forces of the State. It is a well-known fact that their decision and action to leave their homes and farms were to escape from the abuses perpetrated by the 68th IB of the Philippine Army. Gross violations of their human rights— ranging from threats and intimidation, to abductions and tortures, to killings and massacres, to rape and other forms of bodily abuse, not to mention the grave disturbance s of their livelihood activities—constitute the reasons for their exodus and journey to Davao City.
The religious groups, NGOs and concerned citizens have extended their kind and gracious accommodations and have secured their stay at Haran compound owned by the UCCP (United Church of Christ in the Philippines). For three months these Lumad refugees in Haran were attended to by the support groups, providing them their daily food and other necessities as much as can be obtained and harnessed from resources contributed by people sympathetic to their plight and their cause.
In a number of times they have amplified their demand that the soldiers— who are occupying their homes, their school buildings and public halls and spaces in their communities—be pulled out permanently. They give particular emphasis to the word “permanently”, because in previous instances these soldiers had come to stay in their communities and committed unbridled human rights abuses. In 2014 the entire tribal communities evacuated from their respective places’ they took refuge in the same Haran compound they are occupying now.
In the previous incidence of evacuation, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte mediated a formal dialogue between the Military officials and the evacuees. The military agreed to pull out their troops from the occupied communities in Talaingod. But it was not for long. The soldiers of the 68th IBPA soon came back, and this time around their beastly acts worsened, caused intolerable inconvenience and unbearable hardships, committing human rights abuses which made these hapless Lumads leave their home places again.
And that’s the reason why they have aired their vehement demand that the removal of these beastly soldiers from their places be permanent. They are not going to return to their home places if the soldiers are still there. And that is as it should be.
But early last week they were jolted to frightful alarm when out of the blue, here come a considerably big contingent; of riot police, military officers and men, and the paramilitary group Alamara, and tried to forcibly evict them from Haran! And this upon the instance of a certain representative from North Cotabato by the name of Nancy Catamco who had arrogated unto herself the authority to force them to return to their communities!
The Datu— tribal leaders among the evacuees — vehemently refused to give in to the arrogant congresswoman’s demand. And the next thing they went through was a taste of fascist violence not unlike the inhuman abuses of the military that they experienced in their mountain home. This time the fascist tentacles of the State are represented by the riot squad of the Davao City Police who attempted to forcibly enter the Haran compound. The Lumads—Datus and ordinary folks, side by side with UCCP pastors and other church people, as well as NGO activists — linked arms and barricaded the Haran gates.
Tension rose as the two groups stared at each other eyeball to eyeball that very soon turned into violent assaults by the police. The Lumads and their allies triumphantly frustrated the attempts of the riot police, but not before they had been bodily injured, because the police mercilessly beat them with the use of their truncheons and shields!
The poor Lumad evacuees, victims of military fascism in the countryside, have had to taste the tentacles of State fascism here in the city. One Lumad Datu expressed his dismay succinctly, “I thought we were safe here in the city, but the police are no different from the 68th IB soldiers in the mountains!”
