DSWD denies advising WFP to stop relief work in Maguindanao villages

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday denied reports that it advised the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) to suspend relief operations for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the coastal villages of Maguindanao.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza Cabral said the food assistance for the IDPs would continue until they have returned to their homes.

Cabral issued the statement following reports that some 2,000 IDPs in Datu Blah Sinsuat town were appealing for food assistance from the government after the WFP suspended its relief activities in the town.

Cabral said she did not direct the WFP to stop its food assistance to the IDPs, adding that the DSWD “continues to provide them food every two weeks.”

Cabral said she instructed the DSWD officer of the town to check the report and asked the IDPs what they exactly need.

Cabral said she was informed that evacuees fled not because of armed conflict but because of clan wars.

Earlier, the DSWD said 200,913 villagers or 42,227 families were displaced by ongoing hostilities between government forces and Moro rebels in Mindanao.

She said the number is now the official count of IDPs in Maguindanao to be recorded at the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and will be the basis for all relief operations in the area.

The IDPs are from the towns of Guindulungan, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Shariff Aguak, Ampatuan, Pandag, Buluan, South Upi, Datu Unsay, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Sultan sa Mastura, Datu Piang, Paglat, Talayan, Kabuntalan Northern, Kabuntalan Mother, Sultan Sumagka, Datu Blah Sinsuat, and Datu Saudi Ampatuan.

In Datu Blah Sinsuat town, more than 2,000 Muslim villagers displaced by recent hostilities between rival groups in the Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front bewailed the alleged suspension of relief services for them.

Mayor Manaut Sinsuat said the evacuees, who were forced to abandon their villages last month due to the hostilities between the groups of Jing Caludtiag of the MILF and Randy Karon, a ranking MNLF leader, have nothing to eat now.

Sinsuat said the WFP suspended three weeks ago its distribution of relief supplies to his constituents, now staying in makeshift evacuation sites in school campuses and in beachfronts far from the barangays where the groups of Karon and Caludtiag fought fierce battles last month.

“We were told the relief (operations) for the evacuees have been stopped because the conflict that displaced them was due to a rido (clan war) and not in anyway related to the secessionist conflict in Mindanao,” Sinsuat said.

Sinsuat appealed to the DSWD and the WFP to reconsider their respective positions on the plight of the evacuees from four barangays in his town.

Sinsuat said the evacuees are IDPs and thus, are entitled to relief aid from the government or foreign donors.   – With John Unson