By Francis Wakefield
Members of the Obu-Manobo tribe in the far-flung village of Tambobong, Baguio District, Davao City have declared the Communist New People’s Army Terrorist (CNT) as “persona non grata” in their ancestral lands.
At the three-day peace-building seminar led by 71 Tribal Leaders in Baguio District Davao City, majority of the 600 seminar participants were former supporters of the NPA but have already pledged loyalty to the government.
Major General Jose C. Faustino Jr., the Commander of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, said they fully support the commitment of the Obu-Manobo tribe in declaring the NPAs as persona non grata.
"Not only did it free them from communist-terrorist influence but it also empowered them to uphold their rights and culture in the ancestral domain," Faustino said.
"We enjoin the people to denounce the CPP-NPA-NDF and their atrocious intent that destroys the basic foundation of our society," he added.
Faustino said declaring the communist terrorist as persona non grata is just a start and a manifestation of the vision of members of the tribe or any ethnic group enjoying freedom.