Militant students call for an end to killings of indigenous peoples days after the execution by militiamen of “lumad” educator Emerito Samarca and Manobo leaders Dionel Campos and Bello Sinzo in Surigao del Sur. LYN RILLON/INQUIRER
A militant labor group on Tuesday hailed the initiative of some senators to conduct an investigation on the recent killings of indigenous peoples in Surigao del Sur, saying it would reveal the truth regarding the military’s supposed involvement in the deaths of the “lumad.”
In a statement, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said they were hoping that the Senate probe would expose the Armed Force of the Philippines’ (AFP) alleged role in the killings of Manobo leaders Dionel Campos and Datu Juvello Sinzo and volunteer teacher Emerito Samarca on Sept. 1.
“We welcome the Senate’s investigation into the killing of lumad in Surigao del Sur. We are glad that Senators Grace Poe, Loren Legarda, Miriam Defensor Santiago and Teofisto Guingona III are speaking up against the killings. We hope that more senators and legislators would follow their lead on this issue,” KMU said in a statement.
READ: Senate to probe ‘lumad’ killings
“The military is only trying to stem growing condemnation and is only being true to its tradition of deceit in claiming that the killings were carried out by the New People’s Army. We believe that a fair investigation would bear this out,” the militant group added.
Recent reports linked the lumad deaths to the Magahat-Bagani group, a paramilitary force supposedly controlled by the AFP.
READ: Militia in lumad killings a ‘monster created by military‘ | ‘Lumad’ in gold-rich Mindanao targeted
Expressing support for the lumad advocacy against corporate mining, KMU said they were also hoping that the probe would shed more light on “corporate interests behind the militarization” and other related human rights violations in the area.
“We hope that it would bolster calls for military’s immediate pullout from the area and for its paramilitary units’ immediate disbandment,” KMU said.
“Big-capitalist mining companies plunder the Filipino people’s patrimony, destroy the environment, displace national minorities, severely exploit workers, and carry out repression of lumad and workers,” it added. Yuji Vincent Gonzales/RC
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