NPA leader claims gov’t neglect made Caraga lumads exploited

By BEN SERRANO,
Correspondent

BUTUAN CITY — Decades of neglect by government of the lumads living in the hinterlands of Caraga Region have made more than 200,000 indigenes  victims of exploitation by their own datus, government itself,  mining, and logging firms, a rebel leader said, yesterday.

“My brothers and sisters lumad because of continuing neglect of the government not only for years but decades of sufferings, poverty and ignorance have brought us , me being a lumad also, into a situation of can’t do anything against too much exploitations not only by government and capitalists but also by our tribal leaders themselves making them dealers instead of leaders,” Ka Iyan told the Gold Star Daily.

Ka Iyan is a commander of the New People’s Army’s Guerilla Front 19 which operates  in Surigao del Sur and parts of Agsuan del Sur.

Ka Iyan is reacting to the manifesto signed last Sept. 21 by officials and members of the Agusan del Sur Provincial Tribal Council headed by Datu Gubat, Marcos Gonzales Jr., Datu Malampuson Loreto, and Agusan del Sur Mayor Dario Otaza.

He described the manifesto as “divisive” because it has neither genuine support nor real consultations to get the sentiments from the genuine tribal councils of elders in the ground composing the majority of the tribes.

“One thing is clear, these tribal chieftains were being used by the military, the inutile local and national government who allowed these tribal chieftains and their members to be armed or even given forearms in exchange of money from illegal miners operating illegally and millionaire also miner Datu Calpet who is now fugitive in the eyes of the law because of many criminal charges, “ the Maoist guerrilla said.

Ka Iyan alleged that the creation of the fully armed private armies of Datu Calpet and Loreto, Agusan del Sur Mayor Dario Otaza by the military, politicians with total consent by concerned local and national government agencies will boomerang to them in the near future saying there comes a time, the government could no longer control said private armies form abuses and criminal wrong doings in lumad and even in Christian communities.

“They will be creating monsters that they themselves could no longer control,” Ka Iyan added.

Ka Iyan said he was saddened that instead of asking honest to goodness delivery of basic government services to various tribal communities in dire need of schools, rural health clinics, sanitation, Phil Health cards, clear and doable livelihood not trainings not needed and repeated which is designed for local and foreign slavery and 4P’s cards, tribal leaders and chieftains headed by Datu Malampuson Mayor Otaza and Datu Gubat Marcos Gonzales, Jr. and others instead asked firearms.

“Although they have not directly claimed they had high powered firearms, during that Sept. 21 meeting when they signed the manifesto, they requested the military and PNP not to disarmed and disband them,” Ka Iyan added.