The Lumads from Mindanao who put up camps inside the Liwasang Bonifacio here vowed to stay even during holding of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit here on November 18-19, when authorities already warned them that their stay was only up to next week.
About 500 lumads and human rights groups marched from Liwasang Bonifacio to the national office of the Department of Justice Thursday morning to seek for immediate action on the cases of human rights violations in Mindanao.
A lawyers' group criticized President Benigno Aquino on the creation of paramilitary groups in tribal communities, calling it "no longer needed [because these are] peaceful in the first place".
The New People's Army released its two prisoners of war on Tuesday afternoon.
Members of the New People's Army are set to release today the two soldiers taken last September 30.