Nov. 23, 2009

Kalumbay denounces latest lumad killing

Government strikes again!

Kalumbay, the regional formation of indigenous peoples' organization, condemns today in the strongest term possible the killing of another lumad leader on Friday, Nov. 20, and demands government accountability for the unabated killings of progressive lumad leaders in the region with impunity and heedless occurrence.

Datu Alvie Binungkasan, 50 years old of Brgy. Malinao, Gingoog City, was shot and killed in his house while cooking their dinner by two unidentified gunmen believe to be members of Task Force Gantangan (TFG), a newly-formed para military group by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, at about 7 o'clock in the evening on Friday, last week.

Kalumbay holds accountable the military particularly Lt. Col. Criztobal N. Zaragosa who is the commanding officer of the 30^th Infantry Battalion based in the area for consenting to the presence and even creation of this so-called Striker Force in these areas led by Abonjo Cablay, alyas Datu Tagbagani, an appointed tribe leader of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

Cablay and his cohorts Bebeng Ibkas, Loloy Cablay, Lolong Cablay, Fredo Henerales and Benjie Binungkasan and a still unidentified person are identified as among those who shot and killed Datu Binungkasan.

Kalumbay also strongly believes that Datu Binungkasan was killed because of his political belief thus this is another case of extra judicial killing perpetuated by no less than the so-called protectors of the people-the Armed Forces of the Philippines, with the blessing of the Arroyo regime.

This is a dastardly act meant to silence the lumad communities in the areas of Gingoog, Misamis Oriental and Agusan del Norte from the planned consolidation of ancestral lands by Cablay under his Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) with partnership and consent of the NCIP.

Seven more months before she leaves office, the Arroyo government stands pat on her abhorrent human rights record just to accommodate the capriciousness of capitalists and greedy investors to lay claim to thousands of ancestral lands.

Kalumbay believes that Cablay is just a pawn of the NCIP and the Arroyo government to perpetuate its evil design to displace the lumads in order to accommodate foreign and local investors to exploit and abuse the forestlands and natural resources found in the ancestral lands of the lumad.

Datu Alvie was a leader of Pig-akuman or Pigbawangan Ku Kumadon Ha Madagway or translated in the Visayan vernacular as "Gibugkos sa Maayong Gawi" a member organization of Kalumbay. He was one of the vocal oppositions to the plan of Cablay and NCIP on his application for CADT that covers the mountains of Gingoog City, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental and up to the mountains of Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

Kalumbay asserts that the Arroyo government is dense and "baga og nawong" despite the international criticism against her for the rampant killings of activists and progressive organizations since she took office in 2001. Last month the US Congress even withheld support of billions of dollars of aid for her failure to solve the killings which has now reached more than the one thousand mark.

In September, two lumad leaders were killed in less than a month-Datu Mampaagi Belayong and Datu Mansubaybay Badbaran, both anti-mining and anti-logging protagonists who also opposed the presence of fake tribe leaders wanting to claim their ancestral lands. This is already the third killing against members of Kalumbay in less than two months.

Early this month, a Banwaon tribe leader Sangkie Sayasaya, was killed by unidentified bonnet wearing man outside his house. Reports have it that Sayasaya was killed possibly for a different personal reason but Kalumbay believes Sayasaya is part of the bigger design of the government in creating division from among the lumad people and communities. Until now, no one has been convicted of these crimes against the indigenous peoples who have only struggled for their right to self determination and ancestral land.

Stop the killings of Lumad!

We demand justice to all victims of violence and killings. We hold accountable Gloria Arroyo and her military and para-military troops for Badbaran, Belayong and Binungkasan's death!

Protect and defend the rights of the Lumad against foreign and local domination!

Uphold our right to self determination and ancestral domain!

For reference:

JOMORITO GOAYNON

Secretary General