Six Badjao families sent back home
The Laoag City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) has confirmed that there are no Aetas in the city contrary to their reported appearance in different parts of the province. But during their monitoring of the presence of Aetas in the city, they discovered six Badjao families in Barangay Talingaan. According to Ms Aurora Corpuz, CSWDO officer, they apprehended the Badjaos in the said barangay after they found out that they were begging, which is prohibited by a city ordinance. Corpuz also said that the Badjaos were originally from Cabanatuan City to where they were sent back at the expense of the city government. Meanwhile, Laoag City Mayor Michael V. Fariñas stated that he has received reports of Aeta presence in several rural barangays in the city. These barangays are Barangays Darayday, Mangato, Zamboanga, Cavit, Araniw, and Talingaan. However, Fariñas said the supposed Aeta presence in the said barangays have not been verified. The mayor also appealed to city residents not to be cruel and violent to these members of the ethnic minority if they are indeed in the city as the reports regarding these indigenous people stealing and killing people are still to be verified. In case they chance upon these people, Fariñas advised city residents to immediately report it to the concerned government agency or even their respective barangay officials for proper action. “Agingga a saan tayo a maimatangan nga adda da ken agtakaw wenno agpapatay da, saan tay kuma a maalarma ta adda met dagiti agencies nga in charge kadagitoy a sitwasyon (Until we’ve seen for ourselves that they are here and we’ve witnessed that they are either stealing or killing, then we should not be alarmed for there are government agencies that are in charge of situations like these),” Fariñas explained. Earlier, there were reports that five truckloads of Aetas had been allegedly dumped into the province. These Aetas were later reported to be stealing food and kitchen utensils in rural barangays around the province. They were also reported to be armed with bow and arrows. Dominic B. dela Cruz
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