More than 300 individuals from remote Lumad communities in Surigao del Sur fled from their homes early this week due to the series of aerial bombings and harassments, a local Lumad leader reported.
A group advocating education for indigenous peoples is urging the Department of Education (DepEd) in the region to order the government forces to leave the lumad communities so that the children can continue schooling in the lumad schools at Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
It was in 1994 when Datu Tungig Mansumuy-at started to witness how its leader Datu Guibang Apoga, showed his strength of character to lead the Ata-Manobo tribe in the hinterlands of Talaingod to fight back in defense of Pantaron Range, the tribe's frontier homeland.
A tribal leader has expressed his dismay over the resetting of the peace talks between the Duterte administration and the ?c?ommunist rebels saying the indigenous peoples (IPs) of Mindanao are the first victims of the ongoing armed conflict being waged by the guerrillas against the government.
Attacks and harassments of indigenous people’s schools and communities have continued, the organization Save our Schools Network has reported.