Evacuees call for investigation into deceptive tactics of PSWDO, Army

Lumad evacuees at the Capitol urged Governor Bambi Emano to investigate the supposed joint effort of the provincial social welfare office and the Philippine Army to allegedly force the evacuees to go home.

Sariza Acosta, spokesperson of the Tagtabulon lumad evacuees said that personnel of the Provincial Social Wrelfare and Development Office (PSWDO) allegedly invited a pregnant evacuee into a supposed pre-natal check up, but upon arrival at its office, the woman was shocked to find her husband pleading her to go home.

The husband, according to Acosta, was allegedly with police and army officers.

Although the woman refused to go, Acosta said the incident brought trauma to her fellow evacuee.

“Ginakondena sa Tagtabulon organization ang nahitabo nga pangilad sa mga bakwit. Gi-ingon nila ngamagpa-prenatal tsekup pero ang gibuhat nila maoy pagpasilitar sa pagpangumbinsi nga muundang na kini sa iyang gibarugan (Tagtabulon organization condemns the deception done to the evacuees. She was deceived to have pre-natal check up but they tried to talk her out to what she stood for),” she said.

Acosta accused the PSWDO that the support it has given to evacuees has dwindled and that they feel betrayed after the social welfare office cooperated with the army.

“Ang PSWD ang dapat moatiman sa among mga bakwit, labi na sa mga babae ug bata. Nagbakwit mi mahitungod sa presensya sa mga sundalo sa among komunidad ug ang ilang walay pagrespeto sa katungod kanamo. Gituyo ba nga insensitibo ang mga taga-PSWD, o gituyo aron hadlukon ug pahawaon kaming mga bakwit? (The PSWD is supposed to take care of us evacuees, especially our women and children. We had to evacuate because of the presence of the soldiers in our community and because of their disrespect for our human rights. Was

it intentional for PSWD to be insensitive, was it intentional to intimidate us and drive us away?)” She added.

“Nagapanawagan kami nga samtang wala mahimo ang gubuyerno ni Gov. Emano para kanamong mga Lumad nga ihunong ang pagpangilad. Nagapanawagan kami og imbestigasyon sa opisina sa Gobernador kabahin sa gibuhat sa PSWD sa nahitabo sa amo, (We are calling while the administration of Governor Emano can’t help us yet on stopping this deception on us. We are calling for an investigation from the office of the governor on what the PSWD is doing to us.)” Acosta said.

Provincial Information Officer Nicole Managbanag denied the allegations, pointing out that the support for the evacuees is consistent.

She said that the PSWDO personnel also always assist persons who want to talk to evacuees who are their family members.

“The PSWDO will always act to address the demands of the evacuees. The province maintains that it has not cut the support to the evacuees residing in the Capitol and will continue to do so until they can go home in Lagonglong,” she said.