Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental declared a state of calamity Monday, October 10, amid the series of encounters between government soldiers and rebels in one of its hinterland barangays.
An encounter on Saturday left two government soldiers dead and six others injured, while a rebel was killed in a fifth clash between the 94th IB and about 10 New People Army rebels in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan, at about 5:30 p.m. Monday, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade commander, said.
It was the fifth clash in Carabalan since Thursday.
The Army is continuing its pursuit operations of the rebels who have split up into small groups and have sought cover in sugarcane fields, Pasaporte said.
On the recommendation of Mayor Raymund Tongson and the Himamaylan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod declared the entire city under a state of calamity during its special session Monday, Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao said in a phone interview.
This allows the local government to utilize its Quick Response Fund and enables the release of national calamity funds from agencies involved in relief operations, he explained.
Currently, the city has a P13 million quick response fund, a portion of which will be allocated for the man-made calamity, which was on its sixth day Monday, Gatuslao said.
“We took note that there are still a number of projected typhoons that may enter (the locality), as we’re still in the third quarter of the year. In case we will use a portion of the quick response fund, we have to make sure it will not be depleted. We have to be ready for any eventuality,” the vice mayor said.
Based on the latest update on Monday, at least 13,000 individuals, or more than 10 percent of the city’s population which is 110,000 was affected by the encounters, Gatuslao said.
He said that one whole barangay is on lockdown due to the pursuit operations of the Philippine Army.
“We have some areas that we can’t enter just yet, upon the advice of the Army. That’s the biggest problem we’re facing now. In terms of resources and our capacity to provide, there’s no problem. It is really the logistics in getting our goods to the areas. We have no choice. We’re just waiting for evacuees to come,” Gatuslao said.
Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Negros Association of Chief Executives president, said they will look into how they can assist Himamaylan City.
15,000 EVACUEES
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson had an even higher figure for the number of evacuees in Himamaylan.
About 3,534 families with 15,024 members have evacuated from three hinterland barangays of Himamaylan City since Thursday, October 6, he said on Monday.
The evacuees from Brgy Carabalan have reached 12,753, Brgy Cabadiangan – 2,166 and Brgy 3 – 105, a report submitted to the governor by Provincial Social Welfare Officer Merle Garcia on Monday showed.
The evacuees are in 14 evacuation centers and the provincial government has been providing food assistance in coordination with the Himamaylan City Social Welfare and Development Office and the Department of Social Welfare and Development 6, Garcia said.
HOPE FOR RETURN
“It is unfortunate, as of now there is still no clearance for the evacuees to return to their respective homes. I’m hoping we can do that as soon as possible because the longer they stay in evacuation centers the harder it becomes for government to take care of them,” Lacson said.
The evacuees who have been displaced from their livelihoods have animals left behind and somebody has got to take care of them, he said.
“We are just waiting for the Philippine Army to declare the area cleared before evacuees can return (to their villages)”, he said.
Lacson said he would like to think that residents are now supporting the government since they were the ones who reported the presence of armed men in the area.
Putting up an Army detachment in the area will have to be a decision of the military, Lacson said.*