75IB intensifies threats, harassment vs Lumad bakwit, supporters

"WE were threatened by Marcos Bocales that if things get worse, he will liken the bakwit to that of Marawi," said Rene, an evacuee. Marcos Bocales is a leader of the paramilitary group Magahat-Bagani, the group which committed the September 1, 2015 Lianga massacre. Bocales join the military in their activities outside the evacuation center.

Meanwhile, teachers of Lumad schools TRIFPSS and ALCADEV continue to receive threats. "I got a text saying that I am already being targeted. They warned me that they'll blow my head off," Aya, a volunteer teacher at TRIFPSS reported.

Other teachers are also being threatened by the military face to face. "A military agent told me to stop what I was doing or something bad will happen to me," Dondon Gultia, OIC at TRIFPSS narrated.

The same military agent who threatened Gultia also threatened the community leaders. "Umayos kayo kundi sasampolan ko kayo," the agent told the leaders.

The Lumad evacuees who evacuated last July 16, 2018, and are staying at the gym of Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur are now seeking help after threats, harassments, and intimidation from the military escalated since they fled from their homes.

Not only evacuees are being harassed and threatened by the 75th Infantry Battalion. Local government officials are also being pressured against helping the Lumad. "I was berated by the military after I let the evacuees get in the gym," a barangay official told the Bishop of Tandag during a visit.

Priests and church people are also intimidated by the military and told not to help the evacuees. Fr. Lacal, a Carmelite priest, who was supposed to donate food to the evacuees was told by the military, "You should not tolerate the evacuees so they will return to their communities." Other priests and nuns who were visiting the evacuees were blocked by the military and were escorted to a different venue instead.

The Lumad evacuees who wished to transfer to another evacuation site on July 23 were also blocked by the military, the vehicles that would transport them were held at military checkpoints.

Around 1,600 individuals evacuated from 15 Lumad communities in Lianga and San Agustin in Surigao del Sur, due to military abuses. The AFP is building detachments in their communities to provide security to coal mining companies raring to start operations in the Andap Valley Complex.