Loren warns Manobo evacuees face humanitarian disaster

Senator Loren Legarda urged today the government to ensure the safety, health and well-being of Manobo evacuees in Surigao del Sur, who were displaced by fighting between the military and New People's Army (NPA) rebels.

Loren expressed concern over reports that an outbreak of disease may occur at the evacuation centers, especially with about 70 children already afflicted with various ailments like fever, cough and diarrhea.

"I call on our national and local government officials to ensure there are ample food and clean water supply for our Manobo brothers and sisters, as well as medicines and sanitation facilities," she said.

The senator lamented accounts that the evacuees were without sufficient food and were exposed to the elements at the overcrowded evacuation facilities.

The Manobos have fled to the evacuation centers last Nov. 1 to escape being caught in the crossfire.

"Let us not allow the situation to turn into a humanitarian disaster," Loren said.

The military had asked the evacuees to return to their villages, but the latter had continued to refuse to do so out of fear for their safety.

"I appeal to the combatants to spare lumad communities so they can live in peace, without fear of getting caught in the firefights," Loren said.

Loren said it is the duty of the government to ensure the safety of all peace-loving Filipinos as it goes after armed groups.

"Problems like these stress the need for a peaceful resolution to conflicts, which in most cases are rooted on social inequity in Philippine society."

There are about 1,500 evacuees at the barangay hall of Diatagon in the town of Lianga.

Likewise, Loren wanted the military leadership to go into the bottom of reports that soldier had rounded up students and teachers at seven lumad schools to ask them whether they are NPA supporters.

"This report, if true, is really disturbing, as that smacks of witch-hunting and Gestapo-like tactics," she said.

In asking the evacuees to come home, the military claimed that the fighting were happening outside of their communities.