Estrada invites ‘lumad’ protesters to closed-door dialogue at city hall

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has invited the “lumads” or indigenous peoples (IPs) of Mindanao camping out at Liwasang Bonifacio for a closed-door dialogue at the city hall on Friday afternoon.

Estrada’s invitation, which was relayed to the lumad groups by Major Willy Irinco, came after the expiration of the permit of protesters to stay at the park in front of the Post Office building.

The media was barred from covering the dialogue. Negotiations are ongoing as of writing.

The local government originally gave the lumad activists until Thursday, Nov. 12, to leave the park, but Manilakbayan, the group who brought the IPs to Metro Manila, said the deadline was extended until noon today.

READ: ‘Lumad’ protesters call for junking of Apec, eye march to Mendiola

Before Estrada’s invitation, the protesters intended to march to Mendiola on Friday morning, hoping that the nearby Malacañang Palace would notice their plight and hear their grievances.

But Manilakbayan said the outcome of the dialogue with the mayor will determine if the march to Mendiola will push through.

The lumad groups, which arrived at the capital region last month, started to camp out at Liwasang Bonifacio on Nov. 2 after staying for a week at the University of the Philippines campus. CDG