Lumads meet with De Lima, get updates on slay cases

Representatives of Lumad communities on Tuesday met with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to get updates on the cases involving the recent killing of Lumad community leaders in Davao City and Surigao del Sur.

The Lumads, or indigenous peoples, were supposed to meet with De Lima last week, but she had to skip the dialogue due to an engagement at Malacañang, much to the disappointment of the Lumads and human rights groups like Karapatan.

Renato Reyes, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, who accompanied the Lumads during the dialogue with De Lima, said the Justice secretary told them murder and arson charges have been filed against the suspects in the killing of three Lumad leaders in Surigao del Sur.

Reyes said the Lumads would be awaiting the issuance of arrest warrants against the suspects.

Meanwhile, Reyes said no cases have so far been filed over the so-called Paquibato massacre, or the killing of a tribal leader and two church workers by the military in Davao City last June, as well as the killing of five Lumads in Bukidnon.

The complaints over the Paquibato killings remained pending with the Davao City prosecutor, Reyes said.

Reyes also said De Lima vowed to issue a legal opinion on paramilitary groups claiming to be indigenous self-defense forces, as well as the military presence in schools.

The group has been opposed to Department of Education Memorandum No. 221 or “Guidelines on the Protection of Children during Armed Conflict,” which allows military presence in schools.

The memo allows the military to conduct “civil-military operations” such as public forums, symposiums and medical missions inside schools as long as the activity has the approval of school authorities.

"The Lumad crisis demands swift action and we will hold the DOJ to its commitment to uphold justice for the Lumad groups," said Reyes.

"It appears that Secretary De Lima only has a few weeks left in office and we urge her to give this matter her utmost priority," he added.

Several groups have tagged the military in the recent killings and other atrocities against the indigenous people in Mindanao, including the Sept. 1 killing of three Lumads in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.

The Lianga killings were allegedly perpetrated by Mahagat/Bagani Force, a paramilitary group allegedly trained and equipped by the Armed Forces. The military said the group is not under its command and control.

The Philippine Army has said the Lumad deaths were the result of a tribal conflict between groups affiliated with the New People's Army and a group that is against the communist rebels. —KBK, GMA News