Tribal leader, 2 others killed in Davao City

DAVAO CITY – A tribal leader, his brother and a villager, were killed after unidentified gunmen opened fire at a house in the village of Paradise Embac here on Saturday midnight, a human rights group said.

Hanimay Suazo, spokesperson of Karapatan-Southern Mindanao, said Datu Ruben Enlog, chair of the tribal organization Nagkalupa was at the house of farmer leader Aida Seisa in Purok 7, Barangay Paradise Embac when armed men fired at them.

Enlog, his brother Ramil and Seisa’s neighbor Randy Carnasa were killed in the incident.

Seisa’s 12-year-old daughter sustained a gunshot wound, according to Suazo.

Capt. Alberto Caber, spokesperson of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, denied allegations that government forces were behind the shooting. He however claimed that the victims were members of the New People’s Army.

Caber said that an M14 rifle and two explosives were recovered from the area.

The military said they only responded to a report that armed men were in the area.

But Karapatan said the victims were civilians and Datu Ruben was a leader of a legitimate organization.

The attack, Karapatan said, was part of the massive military campaign in the area as a response to the communities’ disapproval to cases of alleged human rights abuses including military occupation of public spaces.

Suazo said justice must be served and that the perpetrators must be made accountable.