Tuesday tension

Misamis Oriental provincial government forces evacuees to leave capitol grounds

EXCHANGE of arguments ensued on Tuesday when the evacuees from Sitio Camansi, Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental, resisted the move of the provincial government to dismantle their make-shift tents and transport them back to their communities.

Around 160 individuals or 38 families originally evacuated last year due to fears of being subjected into a crossfire between the New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels and government troops.

On Tuesday, there are still 30 families left, but the provincial legal officer, lawyer Neil Pacana,

decided that it’s time to make them leave for not following an agreed term on building a “makeshift” house.

The estimated 133 individuals, including their children, have been resisting authorities when their belongings were taken by capitol personnel, as they were pressured to get in to the capitol’s mini bus that will supposed to ferry them to a relocation site in Lagonglong town.

However, the evacuees did not board on the bus and opted to stay at the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in barangay Macasandig.

But, before they left the area they threatened to come back and erect new structures at the park.

“Bisan pag ipapahawa mi diri mobalik gihapon mi aron magtukod sa among mga balaybalay (even we are told to leave, we will still come back to construct new makeshift houses),” Junrey Hilogon, one of the leaders of the evacuees, said.

Pacana said the dismantling of the makeshift shelters came after the evacuees built new structures at the park which is a violation under a city ordinance.

Pacana said the Office of the Building Official (OBO) of Cagayan de Oro City authorized the dismantling of the structures and makeshift houses.

“The OBO gave authority to the barangay kung aha under ang (upon which the) capitol (is part, because) kay under the ordinance the barangay is empowered to issue order for dismantling any nuisance structures erected in any public area,” Pacana said.

“They already committed violation busa to nahitabo ang (hence, the) clearing operation,” he added.

Pacana also said the order was carried out with the help of the police which were directed to exert maximum tolerance and ensure that no one will get hurt, especially the children and elderly.

Tension

But, the around five hours tension ended with two personnel from the provincial engineering office slightly wounded.

On the other hand,the leaders of the evacuees are worried that the commotion will traumatized the children.

Hilogon said the capitol failed to make good of its promise that they be accommodated in the duration of their encampment.

Meanwhile, the Movement Against Tyranny in Northern Mindanao Region (MAT-NMR) also expressed its dismay on the move of the provincial government to dismantle the evacuees’ temporary shelters.

MAT-NMR spokesperson Father Rolando Abejo said the evacuees were only securing their safety when they built the structures as a preparation for the rainy season.

“Dismayado kaayo kami sa lakang sa kagamhanang probinsyal diin atong makita nagkaubos ang kalidad sa ilang utok kay klaro ang gihimo sa mga lumad pagsiguro sa ilang kinabuhi sa umaabot tingulan,”Abejo said.

(We are dismayed over the move of the provincial government, we have seen how their minds degraded as it is clear to what they did to the indigenous people, especially endangering them in this time of rainy season)

Abejo said government officials and law enforcers were accountable and should have respected the rights of the evacuees who were affected by the armed conflict in their community.