Aquino’s last year a bloodbath for the indigenous peoples

QUEZON CITY: A day after the gruesome extra-judicial killings of 3 respected leaders in Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur, lumad leaders were joined by several church personalities, human rights and peace advocates in a press conference to condemn the series of grave human rights violations against the lumad communities. They gripped yellow ribbons dripping with blood over pictures of the victims to represent the so-called “righteous path” and counter-insurgency Oplan Bayanihan of the Aquino regime as the culprits to the attacks against the indigenous communities, especially in Mindanao.

“Aquino’s last year is bloodbath for the indigenous peoples. In the last eight months, there have been 13 lumads killed, 4 massacres, and more than 4,000 evacuees from lumad communities due to intense military operations,” said Piya Malayao, a Bontok-Igorot and Secretary General of KATRIBU.