Lumad IDPs turn to CHR for help

A group of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from a hinterland village in Lagonglong town, Misamis Oriental may be forced to elevate their plight to the Commission on Human Rights-Northern Mindanao (CHR) as they push to have the military and the provincial government accountable for their now month-long displacement.

Lawyer Czarina Musni of the Union of Peopl’es Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM), a support group of the Tagtabulon lumad organization, said they are mulling on filing

complaints against the 58th Infantry Battalion before the CHR-Northern Mindanao for supposed violations of their rights to their ancestral domain.

Musni, however, is apprehensive over the turtle-paced resolution of cases filed at the CHR.

She said several complaints were filed in the past regarding the displacement and militarization of lumad communities but these were supposedly acted upon slowly by the commission.

The displaced 38 Higaonon families from Sitio Camansi, Banglay in Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental have been staying in makeshift shelters at the Capitol grounds for a month now, joined by additional 15 families from Sitio Anahaw, Bantaawan, Gingoog City who also fled their homes due to alleged militarization in their community.

Evacuees have repeatedly appealed to Governor Yevgeny Emano to face them and address their demands to convince the military to pull out from their communities so they can return home.

Musni said should the provincial government continue to turn a deaf ear to the pleas of the lumad evacuees, they would be force to file a complaint against the LGU.

“Dili ko sure sa admin case pero posible public neglect or negligence of duty (I am not sure what admin case can be filed but a case for public neglect or negligence of duty is possible),”Musni said.

But she said they remain hopeful that the governor would soon act on their demands.

The UPLM lawyer said they are also waiting for a chance to speak with the governor so that Emano can enlighten them about the limitations of what he can and can not do.

Emano had previously said that convincing the military to withdraw from hinterland communities is beyond his power.

Emano also said the provincial government continues to attend to the needs of the evacuees and said a dialogue with the evacuees is still being planned in the future.