Manila, Philippines – The National Federation of Peasant Women or Amihan and Rural Women Advocates denounced the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for dropping eight (8) bombs last July 15, 2020 that displaced 37 lumad families in Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga town in Surigao del Sur. Groups joined various organizations in lambasting Duterte and AFP for threatening again the lives of the lumad people especially the women, children and elders and their livelihood due to aerial bombing.
According to Save Our Schools Caraga, on July 15, the victims started to hear at least 4 helicopters, 2 bomber planes and 2 drones hovering around their community at around 1 am. Later that day, around 60 military men arrived at Sitio Km. 16 of the same barangay.
Moreover, the aerial attacks were also heard last July 8 and 9 in nearby town of Tago.
“Tinatarget na naman ang mga lumad sa Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Hindi na matigil-tigil ang pambobomba, pananakot, pagsira sa kanilang mga kabuhayan, at pagpapalayas sa kanilang mga komunidad. Ito ay ay krimen laban sa mga lumad at dapat managot ang may kagagawan. Walang ibang makikinabang sa mga atakeng ito kundi si Duterte at mga oligarkiyang kanyang pinagsisilbihan kagaya ng mga mining companies na atat na atat kamkamin ang mga lupaing ninuno,” stated by Zenaida Soriano, Amihan National Chairperson.
Amihan exclaimed that the lumad people were still traumatized from the series of forced evacuation due to military operations in their schools and comunities. Likewise, the “Lianga massacre” last September 1, 2016 that killed three lumad leaders: Manobo leaders Dionel Campos and Datu Juvello Sinzo and Emerito Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural Development (Alcadev) and triggered evacuation of 3,000 lumad families in Surigao del Sur.
According to Alcadev, in July 2017, about 2,047 lumad from nine (9) communities were forcibly displaced due to a sighting of a bomber plane hovering around their communities wherein after three days, military men from 75th IBPA arrived to the said communities. Moreover, about 633 lumad students were affected from the forced evacuation including the 200 students from Alcadev and 43 volunteer teachers of 7 schools under Tribal Filipino Program of Lianga, Surigao del Sur (TRIFPSS).
“Sa ilalim ng rehimeng Duterte, patung-patong na ang kasalanan niya sa sambayang Pilipino dulot ng kanyang counter-insurgency programs at mga batas laban sa kanyang mga kritiko kagaya ng mga katutubong lumad at mga magsasaka. Ngayong may terror law, sisirit ang mga abuso at mananatiling malaya ang may kagagawan kaya ng mga militar at kapulisan. Kung kaya’t sa kanyang ika-4 na SONA, kasama kami sa protesta para manawagan ng #StopMilitarizationNow at itigil ang pambobomba sa mga komunidad ng mga lumad,” ended by Soriano. ###
