ICC Note: According to reports, 1,000 tribal villagers in southern Philippines have fled their homes over threats of attack by paramilitary groups. Among the actions, a handful of tribal schools built and operated by local Catholic churches and organizations have been closed or threatened with closure. Paramilitary groups have stated their actions are justified as local tribal villages and schools are fronts for “rebel activity”.
10/05/2015 Philippines (UCA News) – An estimated 1,000 tribal villagers in the southern Philippine town of Marihatag, Surigao del Sur province, fled their homes over the weekend for fear of attacks by paramilitary groups.
“They left their homes and went to Marihatag town proper for safety,” said Col. Isidro Purisima, commander of the army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade.
“[The villagers] evacuated because of disinformation,” the military official told ucanews.com. He said the villagers expressed fear that the Magahat paramilitary group will attack their village.
