Task force goes after Tejero group; tribal leaders ask gov’t to pursue peace
BUTUAN CITY – Police and military authorities have identified the group behind the killing of three Lumads or indigenous peoples at a school in Surigao del Sur and have created a task force to hunt down the perpretators of the gruesome murder.
In a meeting at the Surigao del Sur Provincial Capitol in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny T. Pimentel announced the creation of Joint Task Force Tejero (JTFT) which will go after the group of a certain Bobby Tejero which was identified as the one behind the killing of Emerito Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development Inc. (Alcadev), and Manobo leaders Dionel Campos and Bello Sinzo.
They were killed in a raid reportedly staged by a para-military group, Magahat, which was said to have been used by the military in counter-insurgency operations, last September 1 in Sitio Han-ayan, Barangay Diatago, Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
“The reason why we created this JTFT is to immediately arrest Bobby Tejero and his group who were allegedly responsible for the killing last September 1, 2015 and also to disarm other threat groups in the province,” Pimentel said.
The task force, to be led by the Philippine National Police (PNP), will be composed of personnel from the Surigao del Sur Provincial Office and soldiers from the Army’s 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade.
Cases have been filed before the Lianga prosecutor’s office against Tejero and other suspects last September 7. They were charged with grave coercion, multiple murder, arson, robbery, and grave threats.
This developed as 17 leaders from Caraga tribes appealed to the government and all concerned sectors of the society to help them pursue peace in their respective ancestral lands.
During their Communities Tribal Elders Consultative Meeting at Bancasi here yesterday, the leaders of the Manobo, Higaonon, Kamayo, Mamanwa, Banwaon, Umayamnon and Dibabawon tribes, also urged the government to help them achieve “lasting peace” by eliminating any illegal armed group that already “displaced and disturbed” many of their members in their respective ancestral lands.
“Tabangi kami ninyong amaka butang kalinaw ug kalambuan sa Caraga” (Please help us achieve peace and development in Caraga),” said Datu Roland Manghuhusay of Higaonon tribe as he called the government to help them pursue the peace and development in their respective highland communities.
“We strongly fight against these forces to flush them out from our lands by making alliance with the government security forces just to defend our tribal lands,” said Datu Wilfredo Makabanhaw of the Banwaon tribe.
According to Datu Rico Alinghian of the Manobo tribe, 4,000 Manobos have already fled their homes from the upland communities of San Miguel and Lianga because of the violence.
They are now being sheltered at the Surigao del Sur Sports Complex in Tandag City.