Palace calls for end to violence vs Lumads

The government has joined calls for an end to violence against Lumads or the indigenous peoples of Mindanao, promising anew to push for peace and development in these indigenous peoples communities.

The commitment was made by Malacañang after some local government units (LGUs) passed resolutions seeking government action to address the recent attacks on the Lumads.

“Nakikiisa ang ating pamahalaan sa lahat ng panawagan sa pagpigil sa karahasan laban sa ating mga kapatid na Lumad sa Mindanao [The government joins the public call for an end to violence to our Lumad brothers in Mindanao],” Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said over government radio.

“Ipinagpapatuloy ng pamahalaan ang pagtataguyod ng kaunlaran at kapayapaan sa lahat ng mga lugar na apektado upang matiyak ‘yung patuloy na paghahatid ng serbisyo publiko ng ating mga lingkod-bayan [The government will continue to uphold peace and development in all affected places to ensure uninterrupted delivery of public service],” he added.

Marikina recently became the first LGU to pass a resolution, seeking an end to the attacks on the Lumads and protection of their culture. Resolution 168 was passed by the Marikina city council last week.

The city of Caloocan has also passed a similar resolution.

“Gusto natin na mabatid at maunawaan ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng ating bansa na ang buong pamahalaan ay ginagamit ang mga resources nito para itaguyod ‘yung katahimikan, kaayusan at kapakanan ng ating mga kapatid na katutubo o indigenous peoples o Lumad communities sa Mindanao [We want to assure the local government units across the country that the government is using its resources to uphold peace and order as well as protect the welfare of indigenous people, the Lumad communities in Mindanao],” Coloma said.

Coloma noted that they have already condemned the killing of Mayor Dario Otaza of Loreto, Agusan del Sur, one of the advocates of peace and development in Lumad and Manobo communities.

Otaza and his son were founded dead by authorities last Tuesday in Butuan City, several hours after their abduction from their home.

Recently, the government appealed to the New People’s Army (NPA) to spare the indigenous peoples (IP) communities in Mindanao from acts of violence, saying they must be allowed to live freely in their ancestral domain.

Undersecretary Manny Bautista of the Cabinet Cluster on Security, Justice, and Peace said they hope the rebel group would instead resume peace talks with the government without setting any conditions.

“We appeal to the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) - NPA to please spare the Lumads and we appeal to end armed struggle and not to involve the Lumads in these armed struggle. They deserve to live freely in their ancestral domain the way they want to do to live and we hope that this is respected,” Bautista said in a recent Palace press briefing.

Bautista lamented that hundreds of Lumads have been killed in the past years, mostly by NPA rebels. “It is unfortunate that the Lumads are in the center of all of this. For one, the ancestral domains where most of the guerilla bases of the NPAs are,” he added.