‘Manilakbayan’ arrives today

More than 700 evacuees, mostly Lumads or indigenous peoples (IP), arrive today in Manila after a week-long journey from different parts of Mindanao to support for a unified call to end militarization in IP communities in the island.

Convenors from different religious congregations from Mindanao and national partner organizations gathered Friday at the Subiaco Hall of St. Scholastica’s College in Manila to set the stage for the arrival of the contingent for the third “Manilakbayan ng Mindanao” (Journey of Mindanaoans to Manila).

According to Sr. Stella Matutina, spokesperson of the Padalipdan Mindanao, the caravan showed the people’s attempt to seek justice for the 71 indigenous leaders, 56 of which are Lumads, who were killed and whose families and relatives continue to seek justice.

But Matutina said there have been attempts to derail the Manilakbayan caravan as a bus transporting Mindaoans was flagged down in Leyte for allegedly not having proper documentation. But consultation with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) revealed that there was no problem with the vehicle’s papers.

Fr. Fortunato Estillore, Diocese of Tandag, Surigao del Sur, said the objective of the caravan was to express the participants’ condemnation of the “brutal and savage killings of Lumad leaders.”

“Lumads in the evacuation areas can’t go home even if they want to. They are afraid to go home as there is no assurance of their safety,” he said.

“Ang pagsasagawa ng caravan ay tamang desisyon dahil sa mga nararanasan naming mga Lumad (Launching the caravan was the right decision because of what we Lumads experience),” said Kerlan Fanagel of the Sulong Katribu Partylist.

“Kahit nasa evacuation center, patuloy pa rin ang mga nararanasan naming mga pananakot at pagbabanta (We still experience intimidation and threats even if we are in evacuation centers),” he added.

Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano, Executive Secretary for Public Affairs of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said they support the move of the Mindanaoans in bringing the plight of Lumads and the other killings that have been carried out in Luzon.

Secillano also mentioned Pope Francis call to international leaders to open their borders to refugees who are victims of war in Europe.

“Nakakalungkot na meron tayong mga kababayan sa sarili nating bansa na ang turing sa kanila ay parang refugees (It is saddening that we have brothers in our own country who are being treated like refugees),” he said.

Gabriela Partylist representative Luzviminda Ilagan also said that the Lumads are being treated worse than refugees and condemned the Aquino administration for being blind and deaf about the issue.