IP groups’ concerns raised
LEADERS of Indigenous People (IP) groups expressed their concerns over self-determination, owning their own ancestral domains, and the rapid militarization in different areas in hinterlands before members of the Government of the Philippines peace panel in a roundtable discussion held at Pinaccle Hotel last Wednesday.
Chair of Pasaka Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao, Kerlan Fanagel suggested that in the course of tackling the Comprehensive Agreement in Socio-Economic Reforms, the agenda of IPs should be prioritized.
“The Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997 must be dropped and Certificate of Ancestral Domain Titles should be reviewed,” Fanagel said, adding that such laws are causing division among Lumads.
He added that the Comprehensive Agreement in Respect of Rights and International Humanitarian Law (Carrhil) should be properly implemented as human rights violations against lumads are still rampant.
Chair of the governing
council of LumaDMIndanaw People’s Federation Jimid Mansayagan called for the panel to institute the demarcation of the territories of 33 different tribes of Mindanao.
“Our territory is a cradle of our culture. Do you believe that the ancestral domain that is divested from us is ours? The ancestral domain is for our future generations, we are just security guards,” Mansayagan said.
He said the demarcation of 33 tribes, separated by its own history, territory, and sovereign in own, and owning and having their own language, militarization should be addressed, as it becomes soon a problem which cannot be easily solved.
He also said that lumad tribes who are living in the neutral grounds do not have a say against warring groups that the conduct operations of their areas making their communities suffer collateral damage.
He said that he believes that their suggestions may help as he also believed that peace is not a start but a result of understanding.
Member of the Peace panel lawyer Antonio B. Arellano, who is also present in the roundtable discussion, assured the IPs that those who are in the panel are pushing to address the plea of the IPs. KVC (For full story visit www.sunstar.com.ph/ davao/)