Legarda Seeks Justice for Slain Lumads

Senator Loren Legarda strongly condemned the killing of eight (8) Lumads including their chieftain, Datu Victor Danyan, in Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato last December 3 allegedly by military forces.

Legarda expressed outrage over the incident, noting reports that the victims were farmers who were harvesting their produce when the shooting happened.

“I seek justice for the death of these Lumads who were just doing their harvest for the day when they were killed. This is an atrocious act that must be dealt with using the full force of the law. I urge authorities to investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Legarda said.

According to news reports, the military claims it was an encounter between government troops and Danyan’s group who were allegedly members of the New People’s Army (NPA), but witnesses said it was a massacre and that Danyan was not a member of NPA but an active community leader.

There were also reports that the incident involves a dispute on the ancestral land of the Lumads.

”The families of the victims and the Lumad community demand justice for the death of their kin and the disruption of peace in the entire community. I call on the government to urgently implement measures that would protect our indigenous peoples and put an end to these unwarranted killings,” Legarda concluded.