Category: Society

More than a hundred people from various militant organizations were reportedly prevented entry by militia men in Talaingod, Davao del Norte earlier today, September 28.

Rius Valle of the Save Our Schools Network said that about 116 people were traveling to Talaingod to join the celebration of the Bwalawan, or the 12th Salugpungan foundation day, when they were blocked by the Alamara paramilitary headed by Datu Lumansad Sibugan at Crossing Dagohoy in Talaingod, Davao del Norte around 6:30 Monday morning.

They were reportedly reprimanded and told to ask permission first from the tribal council in the area. This despite a courtesy letter from the mayor and barangay council which the militant members showed to the paramilitary group.

Valle said the presence of the paramilitary members are threatening thus their decision to return to the Talaingod Municipal Hall for their safety.

“We are currently staying in a church here in sentro Talaingod, after we were barred by the tribal council of Talaingod and some Alamara. 116 individuals, 44 are students of Salugpongan school, are here now waiting for the intervention of the LGU. They said we should have ask permission from the tribal council since they won’t accept our courtesy letter from mayor and barangay council, insisting that we should have an FPIC or free prior informed consent,” said Valle.

Efforts to get the side of the military on the incident proved futile as of this posting. The Eastern Mindanao Command has not yet given any confirmation to the incident.

Two of the suspects who took part in the abduction of three foreigners and one Filipina in the Holiday Oceanview Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal on September 21 have already been identified. One of them was said to have been arrested by the authorities.

This was the revelation made by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte Monday afternoon after attending the founding anniversary of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

The mayor released the information amidst the continued refusal of the Special Investigation Task Group Oceanview to release any update regarding their probe on the incident.

For the past two weeks, SITG Oceanview had only released one official update on their ongoing probe and had been tight-lipped since then.

Mayor Duterte identified one of the arrested suspects as Bandajar Adona alias Banon. He said the suspect was positively identified thru the CCTV footage retrieved by the authorities during the kidnapping incident.

Duterte however refused to give further details saying that he is not in authority to speak. The mayor however admitted being privy to the information as he attended the briefing by the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in relation to the Samal kidnapping.

It can be recalled that it was Duterte who revealed that the kidnappers and their victims are already in Sulu just as the SITG Oceanview kept on insisting that the culprits are still within the Eastern Mindanao.

Duterte also revealed that the kidnappers could be Abu Sayyaf Group or their affiliates while the SITG said it could be the handiwork of the New People’s Army rebels based on the note left by the kidnappers which claimed that they are NPAs.

Efforts to confirm Duterte’s latest revelation from the police and the military proved futile as of this posting.