***Since 1986 about one million civilians have fled their homes to escape the fighting in the Philippines between government troops and the left-wing New People's Army.The plight of these "internal refugees” is still not fully acknowledged by the Corazon Aquino government.

Marcello Torres is a survivor. Soldiers on the central Phill pplnea Island of Negros shui him in a cave and then set It ablaze, lie escaped and decided to fight back.

He and his wife. Dixie, five children and 120 other fami lies trekked 120 km to con front the government of their province. Negros Occidental For almost a month, they camped in squalid conditions in the capital. Bocotod city

First outside the provincial government offices, to the em barrassment of Governor Daniel Lacson. and then beside the bishop's residence, Domus Dei.The Roman Catholic Church helped them and vol untcers of the women's group Gabriela gave the children meals each day. Otherwise they would have starved

Finally . they were given safe conduct passes back to their ghost village of Buenlvfsta. promised compcn cation and told militarisation of their area would be halted Six trucks, carrying about 50 pen pie each, ferried people "home".

They are among tlx "internal refugees" of the Philippines. An estimated one million civilians have fled their homes since 1986 to escape the fighting between the government troops and the leftwing New People's Army.

They arc the Ignored casualty of a 21-year-old insurgency. There is no official aid programme because the Aquino government refuses fully to recognise the displaced people.

Before 52-year-old Torres left with his family, he and his companions talked to me through an interpreter about their suffering. His story:

"The soldiers and the CAFGUs (Paramilitary Citizens Armed. Forces Geographical Units) came to our village and asked us if any rebels stayed there.

"I said, ’We cannot pinpoint anybody because we don't know any rebels,' I was beaten by the CAFGU. They clubbed me on to my knees, beat my head and then kicked me on the ground.

"I pleaded. T cannot tell you...I don't know".

The suldieis stripped the villagers of their rice supplies, cooking utensils and bolos (cane knives). Torres was pushed into a cave along with several other men. A fire was lit tn the entrance and one man suffocated to death before other villagers rescued them.

In another incident. Remedios de la Torre, was shot dead by soldiers and her one-year-old baby. Nene.

drowned in a water buffalo mudlark. Due. wll.ei laufch ten. — Linda 17. Lorn, IL. and Niza. 13 — were abducted by die military and have not been seen since.

A relative said: The three girls wcrc walking to a town when the soldiers arrived. Frightened, they ran home. Their mother came out to see what tlic fuss was about

"She was Immediately shot by the soldiers. Her husband. Carlito. Jumped out of the

house and escaped while the soldiers also fired at him. The baby was drowned and the three daughters were taken away by the soldiers'

The 61st Battalion - one of nine military and paramilitary battalions on highly militarised Negros - was accused of the atrocities In both Incidents, ■nd in many other cases. The only prosecution case has been brought against a lieutenant accused of killing the mother.

The tspue of internal refugees is highly sensitive for the Aquino government. It is difficult for the government to acknowledge the scale of the problem. To do so would force it to admit serious excesses in the counter-Insurgency strategy And the rebels would press the propaganda advantage.

About 60 per cent of the refugees arc children, according to NGOs Many particularly on the southern Island of Mindanao and tn the mountainous northern Cordillera region. are minorities.

I he Citizens Disaster Rehabilitation Centre, a Manila based umbrella secretariat for a network of 17 non-

governmental organisations (NGOs) helping refugees, blames the crisis on the Aquino government's 'total war policy.- In 1W». almost 36.000 people were displaced in the military's notorious Operation Thunderbolt on Negros.

Although the strategy was officially shelved far a white K is clear the operations was used as a trial for similar mass operations against civilians elsewhere in the country. Militarisation on Mindanao ted to far more refugees -126.000 by the end of 1989 atone

A major operations has been under way since last October In the Marag V.lley. In the northern province of Cagayan.

In Negros Occidental province. Governor Lacson. who has ■ prawn farm and major landholdings, praised the counter-insurgency strategy and played down the refugee problem

"I don t believe tn violence. I believe in democracy. I have started land reform in thin, province and I pay minimum wages. But (the rebels) burnt down my farm.

Why touch mv farm when

Larson hr Imus the sw to to his province are better than in f»8S the year before Corazon^ Aquino caste to Ave top the province there to no hope for Marts

It is going to become the garbage can of Ute

250,000 Filipinos migrate there every year "

For many refugees II Is a struggle to survive in remote towns such as Mulaney art Recto in Quezon province, refugees live tn decaying schools where thetr only food is one bowl of higsw. rice por

Most people who die or faH ther children or elderly refugees exhausted by the trekking and who more easily contract diseases tn the un sanitary condIItons

CDRC executive director Zenaida Deflea says -StatisUcs don't tell the full story. Evacuees usually have to leave in a hurry. Many perhaps as much as 80 per cent — are terrified children or old people while able-bodied adults must carry what ever food or possessions they re able to .any

Heavy laden, frightened, hungry, tired, they often have to walk long distances — sometimes several hundred Mtomc tre* over rough terrain to find a safe place.

Without land io Uli they have no source of livelihood. With no property to sell, they are unable to buy fond. They arc lorted to depend on badly . ud and el .arWy."

And hope that their children will survive

- GEMINI NEWS

DAVID ROBIE la a New Zealand Journalist specialising tn Pacific and development Issues. He has been editor or held senior editorial positions in newspapers in Australia. Africa and France, and is a former editor of Insight Magazine In New Zealand.