Lumad communities welcomed the court decision convicting former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo and ACT-Teachers Representative France Castro, along with 11 others, of abusing 14 children from Talaingod in an incident that transpired in November 2018.
However, they said the struggle for justice and healing does not end with their convictions.
On Monday, The Tagum City Regional Trial Court Branch 2 sentenced Castro and Ocampo to up to six years of imprisonment for “other forms of child abuse” under Sec. 10 (a) of Republic Act 7610 also known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.
Five hundred IPs from Talaingod, Kapalong, Asuncion, and nearby towns of Davao del Norte welcomed the verdict by holding a solidarity event at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City.
In a statement, Datu Tungig Mansumuy-at, former council member of Pasaka and former leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP) Komiteng Rebolusynaryo sa Munisipyo, emphasized during the rally the broader implications of the decision for Lumad communities in Talaingod.
“We will not stop struggling for our rights, welfare, and interests even with the court’s decision against Satur Ocampo and everyone else involved in the evacuation of the Lumad and our children,” he said.
He explained that while the court’s decision is a step towards healing the wounds of the past, the issues raised by the Manobo tribe in its struggle remain valid and pressing.
Speakers from the Manobo tribe, including Juanito Bongcalas, former coordinator of the
Salupongan school; Lieutenant Apoga, former commanding officer of SRC5’s Subregional
Guerrilla Unit; and Henyo Ehem, former student of Salupongan school and former NPA fighter of SRC5, described the difficult social and economic conditions that push some Lumad to view armed struggle as the only means to fight exploitation.
“On my part, it was the involvement in the radical movement that made me feel like we need to fight the government in order to be free,” Ehem said.
The activity was highlighted with the holding of the tribal ritual panubadtubad, where the former rebels who are now officers and members of Kalinaw-Southeastern Mindanao Region (SEMR), along with several elders of Talaingod, gathered to galvanize their commitment to the Lumad’s struggle for
justice, peace, healing, and national reconciliation.
Kalinaw SEMR is an organization comprised of former cadres and members of the CPP-NPA-NDFP. Its mission is to promote peace-building and community resilience, particularly among former rebels, peasant, and indigenous communities. Through various initiatives, Kalinaw SEMR aims to reintegrate former rebels into society and foster sustainable development within communities previously influenced by the CPP-NPA-NDFP.
