The Societies Verbi Divini (SVD) Philippines Southern Province and the University of San Carlos (USC) have raised concern over the alleged rescue operation conducted by the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO-7) inside the Talamban campus of USC.
A total of 25 individuals, including teachers, Lumad students, and Lumad elders, were illegally arrested in the operation conducted by the PRO-7 and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
In a joint statement released Monday (Feb. 15), SVD clarified that it hosted the delegation of 42 students accompanied by five teachers and three community elders in March as a support of the bakwit program project of the Archdiocese of Cebu - Commission on Social Advocacies (COSA) and the Save Our Schools (SOS) Network.
SVD said the delegation was housed at a retreat house owned by the SVD. The retreat house was accessible through the USC Talamban Campus.
The delegation was supposed to complete their modular schooling in April 2020 after which they would have returned to their respective indigenous community, according to SVD.
However, due to the quarantine restrictions imposed by the Cebu City government, the SVD community sheltered the delegation at its retreat house, providing them with accommodation and allowing them the use of its facilities for the Lumad's recreation.
"When the quarantine restrictions loosened, plans were made for their safe return to their houses. Because the return necessitated logistical preparations to be made and entailed costs such as those relating to the swab tests, fare, and food allowance, the travel of the delegation was planned to be carried out in batches," SVD clarified, noting that at least four delegates already returned to their place, as another batch is also scheduled to return this week.
"It thus came as a surprise that reports about minors being 'rescued' surfaced today. While COSA mentioned that some parents were coming over to fetch their children, it did not dawn on us that the parents' visit will necessitate the presence of policemen," it added.
SVD underscored that "no rescue need ever to be conducted" because the presence of Lumads in the retreat house was "for their welfare and well-being." It also assured that throughout their stay, the Lumads were "nurtured, cared for, and treated with their best interest in mind," SVD ended.