DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/09 July) – They may not have been directly hit by the bombs that exploded in Cotabato, Iligan and Sulu but internally displaced persons (IDPs) have become yet another victim as security considerations like the travel ban imposed by a UN relief agency, will likely delay food distribution for July.
Twelve persons were killed while 87 others were wounded in the bombing attacks from Sunday to Tuesday: six killed and 30 injured in Cotabato City on July 5; six killed and at least 40 others injured in Jolo, Sulu on July 7 and hours later, 17 injured in Iligan City.
The evening before the Cotabato blast, an improvised explosive device (IED) also exploded near the mayor’s house in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, injuring three persons.
Records of the Department of Social Welfare in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao as consolidated by the Office of Civil Defense, show that as of June 30, a total of 71,662 families or 359,022 persons are still languishing in evacuation centers or with their relatives in the ARMM and North Cotabato.
Many of them have been there since the hostilities between government and Moro Islamic Liberaton Front (MILF) resumed following the aborted signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) on August 5, 2008.
Of this number, Maguindanao posted the highest at 56,685 families or 286,542 displaced villagers, followed by North Cotabato at 8,384 families or 40,069. Sulu is third with 3,245 families or 11,947 persons.
Records presented to the media during a forum with government officials on the “State of the Bakwits” on June 30 in Cotabato City showed a total of 339 evacuees have died since August 2008: 19 caught in the crossfire in North Cotabato and 31 in the ARMM. But more evacuees died from ailment in the evacuation centers: 223 of them, the OCD report said.
The National Disaster and Coordinating Center’s (NDCC) casualty figure is higher. The NDCC, which has been monitoring the situation on the “complex emergency situation” in Mindanao since August 10, 2008, said in its 85th situation report dated July 3 that a total of 372 have died and 160 have been injured as of June 4, 2009. Of the 372, 109 died from actual encounter while 263 died “due to illness at evacuation centers.”
A listing of “victims of war” by the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society showed 118 dead and 159 wounded, mostly in Maguindanao, since August 2008. Of 118 dead, 26 were from “mortar shelling” or “hit by shrapnel of MG 520 bomb” or “hit by 105 mm howitzer.” Of 159 injured, 41 had similar remarks.
Evacuees were seen queuing on the roadside of Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Mamasapano towns on June 30, awaiting food distribution from humanitarian agencies.
Food distribution is anchored on validation of the number of evacuees by relief agencies and local government units. The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), however, issued a travel ban for its workers around Mindanao effective July 7.
Alghassim Wurie, WPF’s acting country director told MindaNews the travel ban was imposed following the spate of bombings.
Wurie assured they had completed distribution for the month of June. “We did not suspend distribution,” he told MindaNews, explaining food aid distribution to the IDPs for the month of June was completed over the weekend. “We suspended travel,” he said.
But Wurie acknowledged that “our ability to validate…. to monitor” the number of IDPs to be served for July is hampered by the travel ban.
He said they will review the situation by Saturday, adding that if the situation warrants, they may have to extend the ban or lift it.
WFP distributes a “good for one month ration of food worth 25 kilos of rice, beans and oil per family,” said information officer Pia Facultad.
“We will wait till security situation improves. Hopefully by next week we can resume distribution,” she said.
Last month, evacuees complained not having received food supply due to alleged food blockade by the military, an allegation military officials denied. Instead, Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division described IDPs as “enemy reserve forces” of the MILF and said relief goods were being diverted by the IDPs for the use of the MILF.
Datu Michael Mastura, a senior member of the MILF peace panel, said the Constitution provides that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is “protector of the people and of the state so since they are the ones alienating the civilian population,” this will make residents think they are an “occupying force.”
“They are occupying our homeland. They are alien to our people, alien to our ancestral domain,” he said.
Lawyer Camilo Montessa, Peace Process undersecretary and government peace panel spokesperson, said, “the IDPs are not the MILF. They are not the enemy. They are not combatants. They are the concern of this government.” (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)
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