Rights groups stage protest against Lumad killings

MANILA, Philippines – Different indigenous, students, and rights groups took to the House of Representatives (HOR) on Tuesday, September 8, their protest against the military’s alleged killing of Lumad in Mindanao. (READ: #StopLumadKillings: Nasaan ang Pangulo?)

The protest was held as the Department of National Defense (DND) was defending its budget in the Lower House.

Shin Campos, Eufemia Cullamat, and other witnesses during the September 1 killing of Lumad tribal leaders joined the protest action. According to them, the victims were staunch defenders of their ancestral lands and rights as indigenous peoples.

An online petition seeking to keep Lumad kids in school and stop the military’s alleged attacks on the communities was revived on Tuesday, the United Nations’ International Literacy Day.

‘Drop the act’

The League of Filipino Students (LFS), which took part in the protest action, condemned the military’s alleged human rights violations against the Lumad.

“The AFP should drop the act! Their trail of blood is scattered in every Lumad school they’ve burned and every community they’ve brought down to ruins. No amount of lies and pretenses can wash away the blood from their hands,” said LFS Chairperson Charisse Bañez.

Meanwhile, rights group Karapatan called for AFP Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt Gen Aurelio Baladad’s resignation.

“Baladad has no right to take a single cent from the nation’s coffers. Instead, Baladad should be relieved from his post for the terror he caused since he assumed command. The taxpayers’ money has been used to fund the paramilitary Magahat/Bagani forces, enabling them to kill (Samarca, Campos, and Sinzo),” Karapatan Secretary-General Tinay Palabay said.

She added: “Battalions and forces under the EastMinCom, geared as if to wipe out the Lumad, should not be given any budget but should instead be pulled out from communities and Baladad should be relieved from his post and be charged with crimes against humanity.”

Baladad earlier denied that the military is linked with the alleged paramilitary elements who killed Lumad leaders Dionel Campos and Bello Sinzo and Lumad school director Emerito Samarca.

The military claimed it assisted the police and civil society groups that conducted investigation on the killings in Lianga. It also reiterated that its mandate is to protect the Lumad from the New People’s Army (NPA) and other alleged anti-NPA armed groups in the area.

– With a report from David Lozada/Rappler.com