Mindanaotoday.com | Local Catholic prelates support displaced Bukidnon IP’s plight
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Ranking leaders of the Roman Catholic Church here joined groups and advocates in condemning the recent shooting of a group of tribal members who entered a property they claimed as their ancestral land in Bukidnon as the religious officials lauded the issuance of a cease and desist order against a company that occupies said land.
The incident occurred April 19, 2022 as members of the Manobo-Pulangiyon tribe entered the land in Barangay Butong, Quezon along with presidential aspirant Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman and two of his senatorial candidates Roy Cabonegro and David D’Angelo.
De Guzman, Cabonegro and D’Angelo were unharmed but five of the local residents were injured in the shooting.
Based on witnesses’ accounts, armed men started shooting in the direction of the group causing to scamper in different directions. Someone was able to take a video of the incident.
Part of the 1,111-hectare land is currently being occupied by Kiantig Development Corporation (KDC), who reportedly drove out about a thousand individuals or some 200 families belonging to three clans of the Manobo-Pulangiyon in 2017.
Since then, the displaced tribe members have been living in makeshift shelters along the highway in Quezon.
According to reports, KDC is engaged in pineapple production and is maintaining a plantation inside the contested property.
“We join the condemnation of the indiscriminate shooting by the Blue Guards of KDC against
members of the IP community and their supporters when they entered a vacant portion of their ancestral domain area on April 19,” said the statement dated May 2, 2022 and signed by Archbishop Jose Cabantan, of the archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro; retired Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, Cabantans predecessor; and Bishop Noel Pedregosa, of the diocese of Malaybalay.
The church leaders noted that the April 19 shooting was the second incident as the tribal claimants were also fired at when they entered a portion of the KDC plantation in 2014.
“We decry the red-tagging of supporters of the IP community in their struggle to reclaim their
ancestral domain,” the prelates said, referring to the accusation that the tribe are members or sympathizers of the New People’s Army.
The religious leaders have also appealed to the KDC management to abide by the cease and desist order issued by Allen Capuyan, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples chairperson on April 29.
In his Facebook post, Capuyan said the order was already served to the KDC April 30.
“This resolves the Petition for the Issuance of a Cease and Desist Order filed by the Manobo Pulungiyon Indigenous Cultural Community/Indigenous Peoples praying for an order enjoining
the operators and owners of the Kianteg Development Corporation (KDC), all persons claiming rights under and illegal occupants of the portion of the Manobo-Pulangiyon Ancestral Domain located in the Municipality of Quezon, Province of Bukidnon in view of the expiration of the FLGMA 122 and the absence of the Free Prior and Inform Consent from the recipients of the Ancestral Domain,” read a part of the order issued by Capuyan.