Farmers and Lumad march from the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples Region XI office to the Benigno S. Aquino Hall of Justice in Ecoland, here to call for the release of political prisoners and the dismissal of “trumped up” charges against them on Wednesday morning, August 24. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
Among the cases that the groups cited were the charges of direct assault filed by Philippine National Police Kidapawan City chief Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum against the 16 farmers and leaders during the bloody dispersal of farmers in a rally in Kidapawan City on April 1.
Jong Monzon, secretary general of the PASAKA Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao, said that the criminal cases filed against them were “fabricated” and filed only “with the intent to pacify” their resistance.
The groups also called for the release of Amelia Pond, a teacher of the Salugpongan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Learning Center and a coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines Southern Mindanao Region (RMP-SMR) who was arrested in Cebu City after attending the RMP national assembly by alleged members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on August 19. (davaotoday.com)
