Legarda: Justice for slain ‘lumad’

Sen. Loren Legarda has called for an investigation of the killing of seven members of the “lumad” tribe, including their leader, Datu Victor Danyan, allegedly by military forces in Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu town of South Cotabato, on Dec. 3.

Legarda, who strongly condemned the killing, expressed her outrage over reports that the victims were farmers on their way to harvest their produce when the shooting happened.

The senator said she would call Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Armed Forces chief of staff, as she found the reports told to her by local officials about the incident to be disturbing.

“I seek justice for the death of these lumads who were just doing their harvest for the day when they were killed,” Legarda said. “This is an atrocious act that must be dealt with using the full force of the law.”

“I urge authorities to investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Legarda said.

Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, said aside from Danyan and his son, Victor Jr., the members of the lumad tribe who were killed included Artemio Danyan, Pato Celardo, Samuel Angkoy, To Diamante and Matend Bantal.

Palabay said the lumad farmers were on their way to their farms when they were gunned down in Sitio Datal Bonglangon, a T’boli-Manobo community located within the vast coffee plantation of Silvicultural Industries Inc.-DMCI.

“The lumads were occupying the area they claimed to be part of their ancestral land but which the Consunjis used as a coffee plantation,” Palabay said, referring to the Dulangan Manobo and T’boli ancestral domain claim.

Palabay said a certain Luben and Teteng Laud were also wounded during the incident.

The military earlier claimed in news reports that there was an encounter between government troops and Danyan’s group, who were allegedly members of the New People’s Army (NPA), but witnesses said it was a massacre and that Danyan was not an NPA member but an active community leader.

Ryan Lariba, Karapatan secretary general of Soccsksargen area, said the encounter between the government and the NPA took place after the massacre because the airstrikes in the community went on until 4 p.m.

Lariba also said Datu Danyan’s body was found outside his house while some of the farmers were already near their farms.

Legarda said she was also aware of reports that the incident involved a dispute on the ancestral land of the lumad.

“I call on the government to urgently implement measures that would protect our indigenous peoples and put an end to these unwarranted killings,” Legarda said.

Reports said pursuing military had used artillery strikes toward the village. —REPORTS FROM EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ, JEOFFREY MAITEM, FRINSTON LIM, INQUIRER MINDANAO AND CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO