A HUMAN rights lawyer is urging Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano to relay to President Rodrigo Duterte the abject condition of the evacuees encamped at the capitol park as a result of Duterte's martial law in Mindanao.
Lawyer Czarina Musni of the Union of Peoples' Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) said Emano could instead inform Duterte the adverse effects of the military rule since it is the reason that prevented him to address the demands of the bakwits.
The evacuees refused to return home in Sitio Camansi, Banglay in Lagonglong town due to military presence in their community.
“Basin pwede nato mapaabot kang president unsa ang kahimtang sa bakwit as effect sa martial law in the hinterlands maybe in that aspect dili sayod si presidente unsay effect sa iyang martial law,” Musni told the governor during the dialogue on Tuesday, July 17.
Emano maintained that he holds no power to dismantle the military detachment and pull out the government soldiers from the community because of martial law.
The capitol's top official agreed to bring to Duterte's attention the bakwits' plight as a negative result of martial law. However, he would also cite the good side of it.
“Magpagawas ta sa kahimtang tungod sa martial law pero dili pud tanan negatibo kay duna pud mga maayong nahimo ang martial law sama sa atong mga checkpoints,” Emano said.
Emano also agreed to issue an official, written position that he could not act on their primary pleas of the bakwits because of martial law as requested by the evacuees.
Datu Jomorito Guaynon of the Kalumbay regional lumad organization said this will serve as proof that they did not bypass the governor once they elevate their case to the concern national government offices.
“Kini aron duna mi mapakita sa among pag-lobby sa national offices nga wala gyud mahimo ang provincial government sa demanda sa mga bawkits tungod sa martial law,” Guaynon said.
During the dialogue, the governor and the evacuees agreed to take one step at a time by starting with a fact-finding mission.
Emano on Wednesday created a fact-finding team which composes the provincial administrator, heads of provincial legal office, disaster office, social welfare offices, and two bakwit leaders including the church represented by the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and Musni who was asked by the governor to act as consultant for both the bakwits and the capitol.
The group decides to focus the fact-finding on the military presence in the community which is the main reason of the evacuation and encampment of the lumads.