MILITANT groups refused to receive any form of help from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as they fear that the support is only meant to mask their involvement in the spate of human right violations they have allegedly committed against the Lumads.
In a statement sent on Thursday, the AFP vowed to extend help to victims of the fire incident in Haran last week.
"We will cooperate in the investigation and any effort to provide assistance to the fire victims," the statement said.
Public information officer of the Eastmincom Captain Alberto Caber, in an interview with Sun.Star on Thursday, said, "We can help them in terms of transport requirement, meron kaming mga vehicle na pwedeng i-commit. We can also facilitate in health services and their other needs."
They also "condemned in the strongest terms, the burning of the dormitories at the Haran center and those responsible for the incident."
The statement added that they are joining with the Civil Society Organization's call for a speedy investigation on the matter.
Pasakkaday Salugpongan Kalimuddan (Pasaka) secretary general Crestoni Latiban Monzon, in a separate interview on Thursday, said that they have not received and will never receive any form of help coming from the AFP.
"Dili mi musalig sa ilaha nga muhatag ug tabang kanamo basig himuon ra na nilang pamaagi para matabunan tong sala nila sa amo apan mapasalamaton kami sa miyembro sa Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) ug sa mga police nga naga-adto dinhi para mag imbestiga sa kaso (We would not believe that they are going to help us in any way. Maybe it is just their way to get away from the harassments they have done to us but we are thankful to members of the BFP and the police for conducting follow-up investigations for the development of the case)," he added.
Monzon also lauded the efforts of the City Government of Davao for installing some 10 sodium lights in the evacuation center in the hope to avoid other similar incidents in the future.