DAVAO CITY — Despite the guilty verdict of former party-list congressman Satur Ocampo and incumbent Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party list Rep. France Castro and 11 others for child abuse, the Indigenous People vowed to continue their fight for justice and their rights.

In a solidarity event on Tuesday afternoon, around 500 Lumad and supporters from Talaingod, Kapalong, and Asuncion towns in Davao del Norte expressed their unwavering struggle for justice and reconciliation despite the verdict of guilty charges.

However, they welcomed and thanked the recent court decision of guilty verdict for Ocampo and others for abusing 14 children from Talaingod in an incident that transpired in November 2018.

The case was brought up when the group was accused of holding 14 students at the Salugpungan Ta’tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center Inc. (STTICLCI) where they supposedly held a solidarity mission.

Datu Tungig Mansumuy-at, former council member “Pasakaday Salugpongan Kalimodan” and former leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) Komiteng Rebolusynaryo sa Munisipyo, bared that there is a 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.

Mansumuy-at 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.

In a press conference, Ida Marie Montero, the former secretary of Sub-regional Committee 5 of the Southeastern Mindanao Region (SEMR), explained how the CPP through its leadership of the NPA and other revolutionary organizations under the NDF, managed the construction, finances, and operations of the STTICLCI.

She also attested to the CPP’s leadership of the Save Our Schools campaign, designed to seek local and international support to defend, not only the Lumad schools but also the Party and the NPA’s so-called guerrilla bases.

Bartolome Arcala, the former political instructor of Guerrilla Front 55, became emotional while reliving his past struggles and difficulties in the NPA for the welfare of the Lumad.

Arian Jane Ramos, Kalinaw SEMR’s president, and a former rebel, said that their organization, which is composed of FRs, is committed to encouraging non-violent forms of struggle, advocating for justice, and fostering sustainable development.

Kalinaw Southeastern Mindanao Region is an organization comprised of former cadres and members of the CPP-NPA-NDF. Its mission is to promote peace-building and community resilience, particularly among former rebels, peasants, 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.

She reiterated the organization’s mission to help transform former combatants into advocates for peace and community resilience, emphasizing that the fight for justice and development must continue through lawful and peaceful means.

“The Regional Trial Court’s decision should not just be about holding individuals accountable. Most important of all, it is about acknowledging the suffering of the Lumad people and taking concrete steps towards their healing and empowerment,” Ramos added.