KIDAPAWAN CITY—Tribal elders and leaders in at least two Mindanao provinces have called for the immediate release of Manobo “lumad,” whom they said were being illegally held at the Haran compound of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in Davao City.
The latest to make the call was the Tribal Assembly of the Langilan Manobo in Davao del Norte, which described the situation in Haran of some 700 Manobo lumad from the province and from Bukidnon as “miserable.”
In the notarized resolution, which bears the signatures and thumbprints of 60 tribal leaders and elders, the tribal assembly also strongly condemned communist rebels and militant organizations for bringing the lumad to Haran and holding them “against their will.”
“Innocent families were deceitfully brought” to Haran by militant groups “which promised them some remuneration for their attendance in Davao City,” the tribal council said.
“Instead they were used as marchers during the rallies instigated by the militant organizations,” the tribal council said in the resolution, which was furnished the UCCP and Congress.
The evacuation of the Manobo people became controversial when North Cotabato Rep. Nancy Catamco led a “rescue” of the lumad in July, which was backed by anti-riot policemen.
Catamco said she wanted the lumad to return to their places of origin because they were suffering in Haran.
In Kidapawan City, a lumad group came out with a statement of support for Catamco.
“We don’t see any violations in Congresswoman Catamco’s act,” said Raden Igwas, indigenous people’s representative in the Kidapawan City council.
“There are no reasons for her removal,” said Igwas.
Catamco, meanwhile, urged Katribu to act on the supposed kidnapping by the New People’s Army of four tribal leaders from San Fernando, Bukidnon.
The filing of child abuse and serious illegal detention charges against Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and militant leaders, who have been helping in the evacuation of Manobo lumad from Davao del Norte and Bukidnon, demonstrated the state’s “dysfunctional justice system,” a lawyers’ group said.
In a statement, the Davao City-based Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM), also branded the charges as “trumped up.”
Beverly Musni, UPLM secretary general, said Zarate and other militant leaders were helping the Manobo evacuees who had taken shelter at the Haran compound of the UCCP in Davao City.
But instead of the government acknowledging the militants’ efforts to help, the party-list legislator and other activists are now being persecuted, said Musni.
“There is now an apparent attempt to criminalize the work of human rights defenders,” said Musni. Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao with a report by Williamor Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao