Hundreds flee Agusan Sur villages as military ‘arrest’ suspects in village chief’s death

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – More than 500 residents from four villages in Loreto town in Agusan del Sur walked for at least three hours carrying with them some of their belongings as they left their homes after military troops arrived in their communities.

Juanita Loreto, spokesperson of the local group Kahugpungan Alang sa Kalambuan, said they decided to leave their homes in the villages of Kausawagan, Sabud, Mansanitas and San Mariano last Saturday after the soldiers conducted house searches, arrests and harassment in their area.

The government soldiers trooped to Barangay (village) Kauswagan after village chief Ramon Diaganonon was killed by suspected members of the New People’s Army last July 20.

Two days after, four boys, including a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, were accosted by the military along the highway in the same village, Loreto said.

The minors are now under the custody of the Loreto Social Welfare Department.

Major Leo Bongosia, spokesperson of the military’s 4th Infantry Division, said the minors were arrested for their alleged participation in an ambush staged by communist guerrillas.

The target of the ambush is a military unit deployed to secure the family and the remains of Diaganonon.

“The family requested for security but the unit tasked to protect the family was ambushed,” Bongosia said.

Human rights group Karapatan-Southern Mindanao lambasted the arrest, saying that the minors were on their way to the voter’s registration to participate in the upcoming Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

The human rights group also accused the military of torturing the arrested minors.

“They were not in any way tortured. What will we get from torturing them? The military has a different approach now. We do not practice this anymore. The injuries they got were from the relatives of Diaganonon who rushed and mauled them because of their anger,” Bongosia said.

But Rolang Sanglind, one of the companions of the minors, said they were walking along the highway when the soldiers and members of a local paramilitary unit known as Bagani Force arrived.

He said they were loaded to a military truck where three of his companions, including the minors were kicked and punched repeatedly.

Sanglind said he was not hurt because he was recognized by one of the para-militarymen, a neighbor.

While they were being taken away, Sanglid said, they heard shots being fired from the place where they were arrested.

“It is very clear that the military is lying about the ambush. And the testimony of Sanglid is proof that they tortured the children,” Karapatan said.

Aside from the arrest, Loreto said the residents feared for their lives after a company of government soldiers arrived and conducted house-to-house visits.

The soldiers were looking for residents whose names were included in an order of battle list, Loreto said.

She added that the soldiers were also taking profile shots of the residents.

Bongosia brushed off the claims explaining that the soldiers were deployed for peace and development efforts under the Oplan Bayanihan program of President Aquino.

“The house-to-house visits were for the needs assessment to identify the social services needed in the communities. The results of the assessment will then be forwarded to the concerned government agencies so that they will be able to deliver the services demanded. And the pictures taken by the soldiers are purely for documentation purposes,” Bongosia said.

Bongosia said the evacuation has been orchestrated by Karapatan to discredit the government and the military.

“The people must not fear the military. They must get rid of the negative perception about the military because we have undertaken reforms. We do not do torture. We are here to look into the problems of the communities and to facilitate various agencies in bringing in services,” Bongosia commented.

But Loreto said the military has been daydreaming about security reforms in the country.

“What needs assessment? They were listing our names and their questions go around and around about the NPA. They keep on asking us if we know NPA members and if we know their locations. The reality in the communities is that we fear for our lives, there are mauling, intimidation and illegal arrests,” Loreto said.

Presently, the residents are taking temporary shelter at a public school in Barangay Kauswagan and are firm that they will only return to their villages once the military has pulled out from the area.

“We are appealing to the government to pull out the military. Our livelihoods and the schooling of the children were stalled but we are doing this for our security. Our food supplies are running low but we will stay here until the military will get out from our communities,” asserted Loreto.