- A temporary shelter of Lumad evacuees at a church compound in Davao City was purportedly torched intentionally
- Five people including two children were injured in the fire
- Eyewitnesses from the evacuees said they saw three men pour gasoline on the roof of the shelter
At least three unidentified men reportedly torched the evacuation center for the displaced indigenous people or Lumad at a church compound in Davao City around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24.
Five people including two children were hurt in the fire. They were identified as Magno Kulot, 14; Odessa Dumol, 12; Elondia Dumol, 45; Loloy Manayab, 30; and son Demon, 2. A Mindanao Daily News article written by Antonio L. Colina IV said the victims were all from Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
Eyewitnesses from the Lumad organization Pasakkaday Salugpongan Kalimuddan or Pasaka said they saw men aboard motorcycles pour gasoline on the canvass roof of the temporary shelter at the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Haran compound before throwing lighted wooden sticks on them.
Jong Monzon, secretary general of Pasaka, said the timely arrival of firefighters kept the fire from spreading to other structures in the compound.
“This was intentional. We saw three men outside the compound throw woods with fire to the evacuation houses. We also smelled gasoline during that time,” he said; adding they were able to recover a plastic container full of gasoline outside the gate of the compound.
Around 700 Lumad families, belonging to the Manobo tribe, are staying at the shelter since April last year after they were driven from their homes in Davao del Norte and Bukidnon by paramilitary groups.
Senator Miriam Santiago, expressing dismay on the alleged intentional torching of the shelter, said the government failed to protect the indigenous people driven out of their homes by the violence in Mindanao.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the alleged arson of the Lumad evacuation center in Davao City, and I urge authorities to investigate the incident promptly. The indigenous peoples at the UCCP Haran compound were driven out of their homes by violence. The Lumads are now again rendered homeless. They deserved state protection, but were instead harassed by state agents, who at once attempted to forcibly evict them,” she said; referring to the June 2015 incident when Davao police and other armed personnel attempted to evict them from the church compound.
Kabataan Partylist Representative Terry Ridon called on authorities to investigate the incident.
“What are our national and local officials doing to protect the Lumad? The Lumad evacuees, victims of internal displacement, have sought refuge in UCCP, yet these paramilitary groups again proved that they will stop at nothing to harm them, even resorting to arson in this latest attack,” Ridon said.
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