Pablo victims warn: Expect bigger protest

by EJ Dominic Fernadez and Che Palicte
BIGGER protest actions will be staged by militant groups in Compostela Valley if relief goods promised by government will not be fulfilled.
Already facing charges for the human barricade staged in Montevista, Compostella Valley last January 15, leaders of Barug Katawhan movement threatened on Friday that a bigger protest is already being planned if the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will not fulfill its promise to provide more relief goods for the victims of typhoon Pablo in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.
Karlos Trangia, one of the leaders of Barug Katawhan, said during Friday’s press conference that “if the DSWD will not commit to their word of providing 10,000 sacks of rice to the victims of “Pablo” in far-flung areas of Compostela Valley, and Davao Oriental, then a bigger protest will definitely happen.”
Trangia did not elaborate on the details of their protest action.
Trangia said the requirement to submit the list of typhoon victims for the release of the 10,000 sacks of rice is “unreasonable.”
“As a government agency, it’s the job of DSWD to look for the names of the affected residents and they already have a list of these residents which means, they do not have to pass this responsibilities to us,” Trangia said.
Trangia bared that based on their (Barug Katawhan) dialogue with the DSWD, among the conditions were to include submission of a master list indicating the names and addresses of the recipients, the list of names and responsible person who shall guarantee the safe distribution and that the distribution must be witnessed by the DSWD and Local Government Unit representatives.
“We will not give the names of the affected residents for their security, but they (DSWD and LGU representatives) can monitor the packing up to the distribution, and the affected residents will only sign and give their names as they receive the relief goods,” Trangia stressed.
Grace Curso, leader of the Women’s sector of Barug Katawhan, said she received complaints that those who joined the barricade in January 15 were harassed by their barangay captains.
Because of this, Curso said, affected residents are afraid to include their names in the list that DSWD is asking for because they fear that they will also be facing charges like what happened to their leaders.
Reacting to the threat, Compostela municipal information officer Emm Obenieta denied the information being spread by Barug Katawhan.
“I will do my best to really correct and provide the right information to the people of Compostela and (we) won’t allow a barricade to happen within (our) territory” Obenieta said.
“Kung atikon nila (Barug Katawhan) ang mga tao, ako ilang makalaban (if they will deceive the people, then they will have to face me)” she added.
Obenieta explained that they (LGU of Compostela) made sure that they are doing their best to look into the welfare of their people whether the need is for food, shelter and livelihood.