Karapatan claims recent lumad killing, forcible evacuation in Mindanao in letter to UN

December 8, 2017

Human rights group Karapatan on Thursday submitted a letter addressed to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, raising alleged attacks against indigenous leaders and communities in the country in line with the military’s counterinsurgency operations and martial law imposition in Mindanao.

The letter alleged a massacre of eight T’boli and Dulangan Manobo farmers who were killed by elements of the 27th and 33rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in Sitio Datalbong, Brgy. Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

The indigenous peoples were occupying the area said to be grabbed by the Consunjis, used by their DMCI ( David M Consuji Corp)  as a coffee plantation. The land area, however, is part of the Dulangan Manobo and T’boli ancestral domain, Karapatan said.

The rights group also raised the series of evacuations affecting different indigenous communities. On November 26, 2017, around 1 pm, residents – 1,173 individuals or at least 244 families - from at least nine Lumad communities in Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga and Brgy. Buhisan, San Agustin in Surigao del Sur forcibly evacuated due to military combat operations of the 75th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. The number includes 406 Lumad students and 59 teachers of nine Lumad schools.

On December 1, due to the incessant attacks of elements of the 73rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Blaan communities, around 210 households have started evacuating from the villages of Lilab, Basyawan, Balataan, Banlas, and Makol, all in the boundary of Alabel and Malapatan in Sarangani.

In the Northern Mindanao region, at least twenty-one Banwaon families, composed of 139 individuals, from the villages of San Pedro, Binicalan and Mahagsay in San Luis town, Agusan del Sur forcibly evacuated from their communities on December 4 due to military operations of the 26th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.

“The common factor in all these abuses is the conduct of military operations in communities. It is the military’s unwelcome presence in these areas that have uprooted indigenous communities from their homes and have endangered their lives and livelihood,” added Palabay.

Karapatan urged the special rapporteur to conduct an independent investigation on the cases cited in the letter, and to urge the Philippine government to stop its military operations in civilian communities, including that of indigenous peoples in Mindanao. DMS