Army hits NGO for tagging them over death of 15-yr-old Lumad

‘LUMAD’ SHELTER Ata-Manobo evacuees gather for a meeting at the Haran compound of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Davao City. DENNIS JAY SANTOS/INQUIRER MINDANAO

The Philippine Army on Wednesday slammed a non-government organization tagging them over the death of 15-year-old lumad in Davao del Norte this week.

Army spokesperson Col. Benjamin Hao said this was part of their “dirty tactics” to blame the military for every incident in order to get attention and raise funds from international donors.

The Save Our Schools Network, reported on their Facebook page that Alibando Tingkas, 15, was killed in Talaingod town by paramilitary group Alamara, which is supposedly armed and funded by the military.

“This is another deceptive attempt of the SOSN to put the AFP in a bad light,” said Maj. Gen. Rafael C. Valencia, Commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division based in Mawab, Compostela Valley Province.

The Army claimed that based on their investigation, it was a local conflict started by the New People’s Army, allegedly a cohort of the SOSN.

The NPA from Guerilla Front 55 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee identified as Luib Daus alyas Bagani, Dalahis Manlulugpis alyas Carlos and Tudtud Ladahay ambushed and killed a lumad farmer, Donato Salangani, last Jan. 17.

A retaliatory attack led to the killing of Tingkas, a student of Salugpungan school on the same day.

Hao said these incidents were all recorded in a blotter at the Office of the Ata-Manobo Council of Elders of Talaingod.

He added that in 2015, the same NGO posted a photo of soldiers behind a white helicopter at a far-flung elementary school in Paquibato District, Davao City with a caption saying that the military is transforming the school as a landing platform for combat operations.

But it was taken down after netizens criticized the post, saying that the helicopter was used by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte when he attended the Independence Day.

Hao said a libel case will be filed against the SOSN.

Human rights group Karapatan, meanwhile, also backed SOSN.

Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, said the gunman was Joven Salangani, an Alamara member from sitio Barobo, where the Army has supposedly a detachment. TVJ