Retired Police Lt. Colonel Angel Sumagaysay, head of the Davao City Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) is hopeful that UCCP Haran in Davao City will no longer operate as “fake” evacuation center for the so-called “bakwit” indigenous people (IP), who are allegedly being used by the New People’s Army (NPA) following the surrender of Christony Jun Latiban Monzon known as Jong Monzon, a former leader in Haran.
Haran center inside the UCCP compound in Fr. Selga St. has been serving as a temporary shelter for displaced IPs from various Davao Region provinces and other parts of Mindanao since 2015. However, authorities accused the center of harboring communist NPA rebels and of allegedly serving as a training and recruitment ground for the communist rebel movement.
Its closure was also among the plans of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in 2020.
“Included siya sa mga plans kay nakita ug nahibaw-an na ang kanang center dili maayo ang purpose. Tan-awon lang nato. Hopefully, tan-awon sa management sa Haran na instead magiging destructive siya sa atong society ug sa peace and development dapat dili na siya mautro ug kung unsa man ang intension ana na center dapat for the common good and for the people unta. Mao na ang ilang asikasuhon. Unta mag bag-o tanan ang operation sa Haran. Hopefully maging open siya sa mga tao. Hopefully dili na mag-operate sama sa dati ang Haran kay sa tinuod lang dako siya na perwisyo sa katilingban,” Sumagaysay told media during the AFP-PNP media briefing on Wednesday.
Sumagaysay is also hopeful that Haran would be used for its real purpose without hiding anything from the government and the people.
“Pwede nila (Haran) ipadayon (operation) pero dili sama sa nahimong fake evacuation center,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sumagaysay is optimistic that the surrender of Monzon will contribute to the peace and order efforts of the city government of Davao.
Monzon was reported to be active in organizing various NPA-run community schools and facilitating IP “bakwits” including Haran as the secretary-general of Pasakaday Salugpongan Kalimodan (Pasaka).
“Identified siya (Monzon) dati na sa kabila talaga pero ngayon naa na siya sa gobyerno and hopefully dako na siya nga tabang. Halos sunod sunod na nag-surrender and hopefully si Mr. Monson dako pud ni ang iyahang ma contribute para mapadayon nato ang peace and order ng Davao City and magiging instrument ni siya sa mga tao, estudyante or katawhan nga murag na deceive sa mga CTG (Counter Terrorist Group). Hopefully magiging partner nato si Monzon,” Sumagaysay said.
