Zamboanga del Sur - Brigadier General Ricardo Rainier G. Cruz III, commanding general of the 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division told, journalists in a press conference here yesterday that the alleged landslide in Sitio Balabag, Barangay Depore in Bayog where more than a dozen of journalist held hostage is an intentionally excavated with the use of backhoe by Toronto Venture Incorporated Resources Development (Phils) Inc.
“As far as the military is concerned we found out that it is not a landslide but an excavation with the use of backhoe.” Cruz said.
Cruz replied when asked what the purpose of the excavation is?. TVIRD intentionally made the excavation for the purpose to clean the area from small scales miners and to prevent them from bringing their supplies for mining operations. He also warned TVI to stop using the Special Citizens Active Auxiliaries (SCAA) for any other activities except to secure the company against threats from NPA, CPP and NDF. He even has a plan to dismantle the SCAA. He also suggested that TVI should hire other group in their other activities.
He said that he ordered an investigation on the alleged involvement of the SCAA on human rights abuses and ordered to stop doing it. ”Let us observe a few days if there will be changes and if they will continue doing the same, we will do our actions”, Cruz said
Earlier, authorities have denied news report that a group of journalists were held hostage in the area after responding to report that houses will be demolished by a paramilitary forces in Balabag, a mountainous area, where TVIRD is currently conducting mine exploration who had allegedly committed massive human rights violations.
Major Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the Philippine Army said that journalists were stranded in a landslide which barred any vehicles from entering the villages in the interior.
Jong Cadion, National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP) President, Pagadian chapter said in the same press conference that military forces in the area intentionally blocked their path to hold them hostage.” We immediately reported the incident to the media safety office in Cagayan de Oro City and I sent to other journalists our situation and desperately asked for help”, Cadion said.
He was surprised to the report that after the incident, he went to the police station in the area to report that they were not held hostage.
In a report sent by Captain Albert Caber of the Public Affairs Office said that the clearing operation by the TVIRD started even before the arrival of the journalists.
Even the TVI Public Affairs also disclosed that the incident did not happen. The police and the military claims that the incident did not occur.
TVI Public Affairs said that the press was being used in the black propaganda of a few large financiers and operators of small-scale mining to discredit TVIRD.
Cadion said that they had conducted interviews to the nearby residents that at dawn of February 19, 2012 TVI personnel went to the area and did the excavation.
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