The rescued Lumad student continues to urge for the reversal of the unjust conviction of Talaingod 13.

By Danielle Deloria
Bulatlat.com

MANILA—A Lumad youth and various human rights defenders joined the solidarity gathering on July 15 that called for the immediate reversal of the one-year long unjust conviction of the Talaingod 13.

The latter is a group of human rights defenders and Lumad school teachers who formed a solidarity mission to save the Lumad students from the forced closure of Salugpongan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center Inc. (STTICLC) and the Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao (CTCSM).

On July 15, 2024, the Tagum City Regional Trial Court Branch 2 released a decision sentencing the 13 individuals of alleged “child abuse” over their rescue operation in 2018 to save the Lumad students and teachers against the threats of paramilitary groups.

Read: Church people dismayed over “unjust” conviction over ‘Talaingod 18’

In the solidarity gathering, Angelika Moral, one of the rescued Lumad students, recalled their traumatic experience with the paramilitary group when they were forced out of their community and school on November 28, 2018. 

She said that the Lumad teachers and students were requesting if they could just leave the area on the next day because it is already late at night, but the paramilitary group continued to force out the Lumads and vilify them.

“The paramilitary told us that they will get one of our teachers and one student to show what will happen if we will not leave the area.”

“We were forced to leave our school even though it was already late at night. They also blocked the doors with nails and hammers so that we would not be able to enter the school,” Angelika said in Filipino.

Angelika explained that they were also red-tagged by the officers, and they needed to sing the “Lupang Hinirang” to prove that they are not rebels or terrorists.

“They asked us about what our national anthem is, is it the national anthem of rebels? NPA?”

“Then we sang the Lupang Hinirang to prove that we are not rebels or terrorists.”

Angelika also shared that they were also discriminated against for their skin color when they were asked to surrender themselves to the authorities. 

“You should surrender to us; we will provide milk, delicious food, and rice. Your skin will also get whiter.”

Angelika did not want to surrender to the authorities and shared that they only trust their Lumad teachers because they have been helping them since they have been targeted under the administration of then president Rodrigo Duterte.  The rescued Lumad student continues to urge for the reversal of the unjust conviction of Talaingod 13. According to Angelika, the members of Talaingod 13 are not the abusers; instead, it is the government that consistently militarized, red-tagged, and violated the rights of the Lumad community.

Aside from the 13 individuals who have been convicted, there are four pastors from the rescue operation who have been acquitted because, according to Judge Jimmy Boco, the presence of the pastors “was only incidental because of their legitimate calling and part of their prophetic ministry in the Mission of the Lord.”

In an earlier story of Bulatlat, Bishop Daniel Palicte said that they expected all of the accused would be acquitted because all of them are just there to rescue the children from the military threat and harassment. Palicte added that if the pastors were acquitted for their ministry, the other accused should also have been acquitted because they were just doing their job as teachers. 

Earlier on the same day, various multi-sectoral groups and human rights defenders also trooped at the Court of Appeals urging the court to reverse what they described as unjust conviction of Talaingod 13.

Calls to abolish NTF-ELCAC

The groups stressed that the counterinsurgency programs of the government exacerbate the human rights violations experienced by the indigenous people in the Philippines. 

Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of Karapatan, discussed the need to repeal Executive Order No. 70, which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). She said that while the task force claims to promote “inclusivity, peace, and order,” the truth is that it has endangered indigenous communities through militarization and relentless red-tagging. She added that the task force has obstructed indigenous peoples’ access to humanitarian aid, free education, and their ancestral lands. 

Issued under former president Rodrigo Duterte, Palabay said the EO 70’s harmful effects have continued under the current administration of Marcos Jr.

Former ACT Teachers Partylist representatives France Castro and former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo closed the solidarity gathering by saying that the fight of the indigenous peoples for self-determination and defense of their ancestral land is far from over-—underscoring the urgent need for continued support and solidarity.

“The fight continues, especially now that I do not have much work (after Congress). We will do everything to bring back the Lumad schools for the Lumad children,” Castro said in Filipino. (AMU, DAA)