With mayor freed, ‘normalcy’ back in town

LINGIG, Surigao del Sur—Thrice. That’s how many times a mayor of Lingig town in Surigao del Sur fell into the hands of communist rebels.

In 2007, then Mayor Roberto “Jimmy” Luna was seized by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, who accused him of masterminding several killings, including the death of Mayor Amerosin Onsing in 2001, and of committing other abuses. Luna was later released.

Last year, Luna, who was serving his last term and was seeking the vice mayoral post, was again snatched by the NPA and accused of land-grabbing, graft and corruption, and other abuses. Days later, he was freed.

On Aug. 6, his successor, Mayor Henry Dano, together with his two Army escorts, was seized by the rebel group. This time, the NPA accused Dano of building a private army and of establishing a network for military intelligence gathering.

Dano denied the charges, but nevertheless apologized for what he called was an “honest mistake.”

“I only have two escorts and I was never involved in any anomaly or abuses,” Dano told the Inquirer on Oct. 9 while he was still being held in the NPA’s jungle enclave.

That same day, the mayor and his two escorts, Cpl. Alrey Desamparado and Pfc. Alan Saban, were freed by the rebels for “humanitarian reasons.” The three have since returned to their families.

“I am back in my own home, but my heart is still pounding with fear,” Dano said in a recent interview.

NPA area?

But what is it in Lingig or its officials that have made them NPA targets? Once propelled by the thriving logging industry that made it into a second-class municipality (annual income: P45 million-P55 million), Lingig’s economy has slipped drastically.

Nearly 70 percent of its population of over 27,000 now rely heavily on farming and fishing, according to Uldarico Rosello, the municipal planning and development coordinator. The town’s major agricultural products are coconut, abaca and rice.

Victor Inka, 40, a coconut farmer with seven children, says he is not earning enough to meet their growing needs. “Most of my children … end up farming due to lack of money,” he says. Only two of them are in school,

Vincent Crisostomo, 19, says he dropped out of high school so he can help his family financially.

Fisher Alberto Muygo, 57, claims his earnings sometimes reach P200, but adds that it is not even enough to feed his five children. “We just hope that someone or the government will help us improve our economic condition,” he says.

And the NPA continues to feed on these “normal” conditions.

Local politics

“Politics and corrupt practices” rule Lingig, according to one villager, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal. “It’s so rotten, which is why the rebels handed its own version of justice.”

Dano agrees. Politics has something to do with his captivity, he says, but adds that false information were circulated to discredit him. He refuses to name his political adversary, but everyone in town knows that he and Luna are “the best of enemies.”

Another official says poverty could have driven young men and women of Lingig to join the NPA. “It’s very likely since there is lack of opportunity for them here,” the official says.

But Dano does not consider Lingig a hotbed for communist rebels. “The rebels are in the mountain and there is no livelihood for them here,” he insists.

“There is no money here to be made because the people and even small businessmen here are also financially hard up,” he adds.

Rebel presence

Residents, however, are not surprised to see rebels coming to town, sometimes carrying their rifles, especially during festivities.

“What can we do? We could not put up a fight because we don’t have firearms. I don’t even own one,” Dano says.

As to his abductors, Dano would rather not file formal charges against them. “I’ll just forget about it,” he tells members of the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“If I filed a case, will you be able to give me justice and and will you be able to give me security?” he asks them.

Security concerns

Insp. Ignacio Serrano, the town’s police chief, showed the Inquirer the newly built perimeter fence of the police station near the municipal hall.

“It’s not enough, I might add another fence, and will put sandbags,” Serrano says, hoping that it will somehow deter another attack on his station.

He says his police force is “so undermanned and [poorly] armed,” making them vulnerable to the rebels.

“The rebels roam here freely. They even play basketball during festivities, but we cannot go after them,” Serrano says as he acknowledges his weakness.

He says it would help if military detachments were set up along the highway to avoid the town from being infiltrated by rebels.

Maj. Jacob Obligado, spokesperson of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, says Lingig is just a “passing through” area for the rebels. The town is nestled in the borders of Davao Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte—considered sanctuaries for the NPA.

With Dano’s release, a sense of normalcy returns to this town. The residents also returned to their “normal” lives.