Rescued IPs in Cebu now back with their families
MAJORITY of the rescued indigenous children from the Ata Manobo tribe in Davao del Norte, who were rescued by the authorities from a suspected communist front organization in Cebu province are now ready to rejoin their community together with their families after completing a “reintegration program” with their families.
In a news dispatch by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) last March 28, 2021, 13 of the 19 IP minors rescued at the Talamban campus of the University of San Carlos Retreat House in Cebu would also receiving livelihood and educational assistance after completing the family reintegration process in Mabini, Davao de Oro.
The IPs who originally hailed from Sitio Kamingawan, Talaingod, Davao del Norte, were taken without parental consent by members of the ‘Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkonogon Community Learning Center’ nearly three years ago, purportedly to “complete their education” elsewhere before finally ending up at the University of San Carlos compound in Cebu City in 2019.
About 55 Salugpungan schools spread mostly in Mindanao have been ordered closed by the Department of Education (DepEd) around October 2019, for operating without any permit and non-compliance with government school curriculum and standards; its “teachers” were also found to have no license nor qualification to teach.
National security officials also later on discovered that the illegal schools were front organizations created by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) where, at a very young age, the IP “students” are indoctrinated to hate the government before they are finally turned into fighters for the CPP’s armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).
The IPs are also being used by the CPP fronts in their money donation drive abroad, especially in Europe.
Last February 15, 2021, the Police Regional Office in Region 7 under P/BGen. Ronnie Montejo, acted on the complaints of several parents of the abducted minors and raided the USC compound where the IPs were also rescued.
Seven adults, two of whom claimed to be “teachers” were also arrested by the police and have been charged for kidnapping, serious illegal detention, human trafficking and exploitation of minors and children.
Separate criminal cases were also prepared against officials of the USC, which is being run by the ‘Societas Verbi Divini’ (SVD), a Catholic religious order.
P/Staff Sgt. Norkaya Dica of the Police Regional Office-Region 11, an investigator under Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, told the Philippine News Agency that the March 19 activity at 4 Sisters Beach Resort in Barangay Tagnanan, Mampising, also strengthened the children’s ties with their families.
“The minors had videoke and parlor games with their parents. They also enjoyed the beach as most of them said it was their first time to go swimming,” she said.
At first, Dica said, the children were hesitant to join their parents. After undergoing psychosocial interventions, they became more open.
“Now, they are already interacting. We allowed them to go home to their families for two days last week and we have not seen any problems so far,” she said.
The minors are currently housed at the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office in Talaingod town.
Dica said they cannot immerse yet with their communities as they will still have to join trainings to be conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
A meeting with the DepEd is also being prepared to discuss the children’s education, Dica added (with reports from the Philippine News Agency, PNA).
