BY ROGER M. BALANZA
The communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Southern Mindanao has accused a tribal leader and a tribal group for land grabbing in ancestral domains and harassment of tribal people in Marilog in Davao City, Bukidnon and Arakan Valley in North Cotabato.
In an e-mailed press statement, Isabel Santiago, spokesperson of the NPA Herminio Alfonso Command accused the Federation of Manobo-Matigsalog Tribal Council (Femmatric) led by tribal leader Lito Gawilan as behind land grabbing, robbery, fake gold bar trade and extortion, that have “worsened the suffering of indigenous peoples in Marilog district, Bukidnon and Arakan Valley.”
Femmatric and Gawilan are guilty for gross human rights violations against the Lumads, said Santiago.
“Gawilan is desperate to hold his firm grip over the criminal syndicates that are responsible for the series of highway robberies, trading of fake gold bars, confiscating titled lands from non-Lumad settlers, and securing at least a 10 percent stake in the small businesses along the Bukidnon national highway, said Santiago.
Santiago added: Gawilan is misrepresenting the Matigsalog and Manobo tribes, by claiming to protect their ancestral domain in making these areas readily available for rubber plantation and mining concessions.
Holding a Certificate of Ancestral Domain (CADT) title covering resource-rich areas of Kitaotao town in Bukidnon province, Arakan town in North Cotabato & Marilog district in Davao City. Gawilan dangles these lands as leverage to obtain more lucrative deals from the capitalists, said Santiago.
