Help from UCCP bishops to bring IPs home urged

THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao urged for the cooperation of the Council of Bishops of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) to help the government encourage the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) inside their facility to return to their homes.

In a statement issued on Friday, PRO-Davao regional director Police Brigadier General Filmore Escobal said the UCCP must be held liable for causing “division” among IP communities by allegedly detaining them inside an environment that is not suitable for the Lumad.

“The Police Regional Office 11 demands the UCCP Council of Bishops to cooperate and help the IPs held inside Haran to return to their community, where they can continue to nurture, preserve and develop their culture, traditions, and institution,” Escobal said.

On January 29, the Council of Bishops of UCCP demanded an apology from the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC)-Davao for passing a resolution to close down their facility. The resolution allegedly triggered the paramilitary group Alamara to forcibly enter into their facility on January 25.

Despite the forced intrusion, the police allegedly did not do anything to prevent the Alamara from harassing the IPs.

“The Regional Council has no right whatsoever to demand the closure of a church’s mission, much more to blame a church for faithfully doing its Christian mission of defending the poor and the oppressed,” UCCP said.

In response, Escobal said, “The Regional Peace and Order Council 11 should never be blamed for besmirching the integrity of UCCP Haran. The RPOC resolution is clear, and it is to let the Indigenous People (IP) go home and /or if the UCCP Haran Management is clean, open their doors for investigation.”

Contrary to the claims of UCCP Haran, Escobal narrated that around 9:30 a.m. on January 25, Central 911 called the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) because of the commotion outside the UCCP Haran located in Father Selga Street, Barangay 8-A, Davao City. Upon learning the incident, the police proceeded to the area immediately.

“They found out that there were 17 passenger vans and ten dump trucks loaded with more or less 150 IPs, who went to Haran to rescue their family and relatives inside the compound. The police participation is to secure the area to prevent untoward incidents and to secure the peaceful rescue of the IPs family members,” Escobal said.

The region’s top cop cried foul against UCCP Haran's accusation that policemen condoned the intrusion and referred the allegation as “pure harassment, which always has been their way of demolishing the PNP to gain sympathy from the public.”

He also denied the UCCP’s allegation that the Lumad who went to their facility were paramilitary groups, saying that those were the relatives of the IPs staying inside who wanted to bring back their relatives.

“The January 25, 2020 incidents only proved the unreasonable refusal of Haran administrator and management to allow IP leaders coming to Haran to freely communicate with their family and relatives inside their compound; considering that their relatives were there to fetch them and bring them home,” he said.