300 families evacuate in Samar
More than 300 families or 1,409 individuals evacuated from Hagbay, Can-aponte, San Nicolas and San Pedro in San Jose de Buan, Samar on March 17-25 due to the three-month long operation of the 87th IB in their communities. Among the evacuees are 424 children, 66 elderly individuals and 11 pregnant women.
Last March 25, soldiers and agents of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) coerced the residents to attend a “peace rally” and be presented as “surrenderees.” The residents, however, refused and instead protested to demand the immediate pull-out of military troops from their communities.
After the protest, elements of the 87th IB looked for Jade Cinco, representative of People’s Surge-Western Samar.
Meanwhile, 21 days after the homecoming of 1,607 Lumad evacuees in Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, 28 families from Sitio Decoy and Panukmoan were again compelled to evacuate to Km. 9 due to the shelling, aerial bombardment and strafing by the military in their communities. The bombings were perpetrated by the 401st IBde last March 31 a day after an encounter between the AFP and NPA ensued in a nearby community.
Diatagon residents evacuated last July 2018 due to intense military operations in the area.