Lumad evacuees mark 4th month displacement
Evacuees encamped at the Provincial Capitol grounds marked their fourth month staying in the city with a solidarity night to call for support on their request to pull out the military in their hometown Sitio Camansi, Banglay, in Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental.
Lumad leader Datu Reynaldo Ayuma said the evacuees will continue to fight for their rights despite the neglect of the persons in authority.
Datu Reynaldo performed a Saot (a tribal war dance) and Dasang (a traditiona chant) during the “Solidarity with the Lumad: A Cultural Night held at the Provincial Capitol Grounds on October 5, 2018.
Datu Jomorito Goaynon, chairperson of Kalumbay Regional Lumad Organization meanwhile reiterated his call to end martial law in Mindanao as it only intensified the attack of the government against Lumad communities, resulting to increased number of human rights violations, including evacuations of Indigenous Peoples from their ancestral lands.
Goaynon also denounced the arrest of Misamis Oriental Farmers Association Chariperson Jerry Basahon and Gabriela Women’s Party coordinator Merlita Dorado on October 4, 2018 and alleged they were imprisoned due to fake charges.
“The Red October hysteria of the government to silence critics continue with their anti-people policies,” he said.
The evacuees and their guests performed a candle lighting ceremony as symbol of their determination to fight for justice and peace.