LIANGA, Surigao Del Sur – Manobo tribes ended the October Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) month, and observed All Souls’ Day in a candle lighting rally against the New People’s Army (NPA) and its barbaric killings of innocent IP leaders and members.
The rally was held in Barangay St. Christine in Lianga town on Saturday, October 31, where residents from far-flung villages and some barangay officials also joined the activity.
In a report by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), about twelve IP leaders and members have allegedly been killed by the NPA since March this year.
The latest was Lianga IP Mandatory Representative, Hawudon Jumar S. Bucales (Datu Nahikyad) and two others, who were ambushed on October 4 while they were on their way home from an IP Council meeting in Lianga.
The tribal council of Lianga recently reported that NPA terrorists in Surigao have been sending them death threats ever since they allowed the construction of DepEd IP Schools of Living Tradition in the hinterlands of Lianga and Marihatag towns, both in Surigao del Sur province.
“Ang aming mga tribal leaders na walang ibang gusto kundi makapagbigay ng kalidad na edukasyon sa mga IP gaya ni Datu Jumar Bucales ay gusto nilang patayin. Ganunpaman, hindi kami matatakot at ipagpapatuloy namin ang mga isinusulong na programa ni Datu Jumar Bucales para umunlad ang tribo sa Lianga,” Lianga Chieftain Datu Constancio Duhac said.
(Our tribal leaders, who do not desire anything but to provide quality education to the IP, like Datu Jumar Bucales, are the ones they want to kill. Notwithstanding, we’re not afraid, and we will continue to pursue Datu Jumar Bucales’ programs so that Lianga tribes will progress)
“Ang totoong nagmimilitarisa sa tribo ay hindi ang Army, kundi ang mga sinungaling at teroristang NPA na sapilitang nirerekrut ang kabataang tribo para maging NPA o milisya ng bayan. Sila ay nagsisinungaling sapagkat ang gusto lamang nilang paalisin ang Army na tumutulong sa amin sa pamamagitan ng Community Support Program (CSP),” Datu Rico Maca, San Miguel IPMR, said.
(It is not the Army that’s trying to militarize the tribe, but the NPA terrorists who have been forcibly recruiting the youth in the tribe to become NPAs or militia members. They have been telling lies because what they want is to get rid of the Army which has been helping us through the Community Support Program)
The Communist rebels have taken responsibility for the killings of Datu Bucales and other members of IPs, military and police report have said.