Groups mark 11th year of Lianga killings, demand justice

Former ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro and indigenous peoples’ group Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas staged a lightning rally in front of the Department of Justice in Manila on Tuesday to mark the 11th anniversary of the killing of three Lumad leaders in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.

The protesters renewed calls for justice for Emerito Samarca, Dionel Campos and Datu Juvello Sinzo, who were killed on 1 September 2015.

Castro claimed that violence against Lumad communities had persisted in the years since the killings, accusing the government of pursuing a “systemic policy of repression” against indigenous communities and their advocates.

“The cry to #StopLumadKillings was born from the blood spilled in Lianga. But instead of heeding this call, the state intensified its campaign of terror,” Castro said.

She argued that the Lianga killings were followed by attacks on Lumad schools, displacement of indigenous communities, the killing of Lumad youth Obello Bay-ao and the prosecution of activists and advocates supporting indigenous communities.

Castro also cited the case of Michelle Campos, daughter of Dionel Campos, who remains detained over charges that her supporters claim were fabricated.

“Dionel Campos was murdered for defending his ancestral domain. Today, his daughter Michelle remains in jail on fabricated charges. This is the brutal reality: they kill the parents and imprison the children to crush the spirit of an entire people,” Castro said.

Castro was among the so-called “Talaingod 13” convicted over a 2018 incident involving Lumad students in Talaingod, Davao del Norte. She and her co-accused have disputed the charges against them.

Castro also denounced what she described as the continued militarization of indigenous communities and criminalization of advocates for indigenous rights and self-determination.

“We demand an end to militarization, attacks on Lumad communities and schools, and the militarization of Indigenous Peoples and their defenders,” the group said.