Lumad leaders, militants hold rally to mark Rights Day

Leaders of the Rights Day Lumad all the way from Mindanao as well as over a hundred militants marched towards AFP Central Command in Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City with the battlecry: “Stop lumad killings! Save our schools!”

Lumad leaders from Mindanao and over a hundred militants held a march rally today to call for a halt on the killings of lumads.

The march rally was in commemoration of International Human Rights Day, December 10 and is aimed at raising awareness of the plight of the lumads, farmers, and other marginalized groups in the country.

“We are here in Cebu to ask for support in our call to stop the grabbing of our native lands in Mindanao, to end the killing of our fellow lumads, and to stop the ongoing militarization of farm lands, homes to hundreds of farmers and lumads all over the Philippines,” said Tungig Mansumuy-at, a datu from the Southern Mindanao region in Bisaya.

Over 30 lumads from the Davao region, the CARAGA region, from Bukidnon and from the Southern Mindanao area were in Cebu since December 7, conducting seminars in University of San Carlos and Saint Theresa’s College.

The weeklong event is called the “Lakbayan ng Lumad sa Cebu.”

A Visayas People’s Conference with the Lumads was held in St. Theresa’s College-Cebu, during which Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma expressed his support to the lumads.

“I call to all Cebuanos to pray for our lumad brothers and sisters, and to remember that our hearts must remain open to help them in all means possible,” Palma said, in a recording of his statement yesterday.

The United Church of Christ – Philippines (UCCP) also showed their support by joining the rally with the lumads and other Cebu activist groups.