Lumads ‘bullied’ into joining NPA, says group

DAVAO CITY- Tribal leaders here have complained of massive recruitment by communist rebels who intruded into ancestral domain areas. Datu Joel Unad, chair of the Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Council for Peace and Development (MICPD), said by their latest estimate, 70 to 80 percent of the Lumads were bullied into joining the New People's Army (NPA). "In some remote areas like in Laak (Compostela Valley), it's more than 80 percent, I think 100 percent of the Lumads there are NPAs because there are no soldiers there," he said. This was confirmed by Datu Liling Andresan of the Mandaya tribe, who said that roughly 80 to 90 percent of their tribe, most of them minors, in Compostela Valley, joined the communist rebels. "Dayag na kaayo na kadaghanan sa mga miyembro sa NPA mga tribu (It's obvious that most of members of NPA come from our tribe)," Andresan said, adding that they were lured by promises of monthly allowance and other perks by the NPA. He said massive recruitment by the NPA could be prevented by strong presence of local government units to provide livelihood projects and soldiers to provide protection. Based on the MICPD survey, there are about five to seven million indigenous peoples in Mindanao, majority of which are Manobos. Datu Ramon Bayaan said NPA rebels point out the lack of government presence as part of their propaganda to enlist on more Lumads. "Ilang dauton, gubaon ang gobyerno, buhatan ug isyu ang mga leaders para ang katawhang Lumad mubalhin sa NPA (They criticize the government and the leaders so the Lumads will join the NPA)," he said. Bayaan also said the NPA rebels have been recruiting minors and brandishing high-powered weapons inside their ancestral domains. "Kami na mga Lumad daghan mga resources apan unsaon namo paggamit na ang mga namuyo armado (We have many resources but how can we use them if there are armed men)?" Bayaan said. Last week, the issue of NPA recruitment was tackled at the 2nd Indigenous Peoples Convention, attended by some 400 Lumads representing 18 tribes in Mindanao, culminating with a personal request for help to Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon. Esperon said the indigenous communities, because of where they live, become easy targets of the NPAs. "So much so that since 1981, there are 315 victims of CPP-NPA liquidations," he said. "In the long run some of them become red fighters. That is not to say that majority of the residents, the Lumads are willing captives of the NPA." He said they the military and the MICPD are tying to come up with strategies to counter the threat. "It's very simple, the ancestral domain areas should belong to the Lumads," Esperon said. - GMANews.TV