THE NATIONAL Commission on Indigenous Peoples-XI has joined the task force with law enforcers and other government agencies to stop the killings of tribal members over land conflict.
Atty. Ronnie Bulotano, NCIP-Davao OIC-provincial officer, said they have already scheduled a meeting with all Matigsalug elders in the clan to discuss options, including an inventory of all the conflict areas within the ancestral domain claim.
“Ang Davao City Police Office, nag-create na siya og task force. Pati gani ang Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), gapahigayon og regular na activity. Ginatan-aw namo ni ang mga security issues sulod sa ancestral domain (The Davao City Police Office created task force. Even the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) conducted a regular activity to identify security issues inside the ancestral domain),” Bulotano said.
On July 1, Barangay Kagawad Joel Daguinsal Siawan, 37, a resident of Purok 7, Pangudlutan, and Ernesto Linog Matalam, 52, Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR), a resident of Sitio Namnam, Baganihan, were gunned down in Sitio Bagong Silang, Baganihan, Marilog District, around 10:48 a.m.
The victims had just finished a tribal ritual when unidentified perpetrators ambushed them from their position in the woods.
Bulotano said the killings could be related to a land dispute. The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) 1997 defines ancestral domains as “areas generally belonging to ICCs/IPs comprising lands”, among others.
“Mahadlok na sila (tribal members) mu-render og desisyon base sa ilang customary laws kay basig sila napud and balikan kung dili ma-pabor sa ilahang desisyon (They are now afraid to render decisions based on their customary laws because they would think that these people might attack them if the decision were not in their favor),” Bulotano explained.
Bulotano also urged investigators to speed up the investigation and bring the killers to justice.
