ZAMBOANGA CITY: A group of Subanen tribal leaders have called for the Aquino government to temporarily halt all mining operations in Zamboanga del Sur province in southern Philippines until Manila acts on their legal claims over a vast tract of ancestral lands.

The Subanen leaders are claiming some 23,800 hectares of lands in the town of Bayog where several mining companies and small-scale miners are operating. It also sought the assistance of Amnesty International to bring their cause to the authorities.

The group held a news conference this week in Pagadian City, Davao province and in Zamboanga City where tribal leader Timuay Basilio Promon represented the 3,000-strong Council of Pigsalabukan Guhom de Bayog.

“Our present ancestral domain claim in Bayog is just a fragment of our original homeland which has been slowly grabbed from us. Six years after we applied for a title of our ancestral domain [with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples], our application has never reached the first stage because of various conflicts among us leaders that were instigated by groups who wanted to control us and our domain like mining companies protected by their fully armed guards.

“Until such time that we have full control of our ancestral domain, our communities will be condemned to perpetual conflict and unpeace and there will be more Jordans to become innocent victims of human rights violations,” Council of Pigsalabukan Guhom de Bayog said in a statement, referring to the 12-year-old son of Timuay Locenio Manda, who was killed in an ambush in Bayog last month.

Manda was heading to school to bring his son when gunmen attacked them. Two of the five attackers, were arrested days later. “In my effort to assert our rights and to protect our people and ancestral domain, my beloved son was sacrificed. It is very painful and I thirst for justice,” he said. “I vow to continue my struggle in order not to make my son’s death in vain. I need your support in this most trying time of my life as a father and a leader.”

Promon said that the authorities have not release any details of the investigation into the boy’s killing and the attempt on the life of Manda.

“We are victims here, the Subanen people. We were at peace, but the entry of mining companies in the province has divided the Subanen now. All we want is to exercise our rights and live in peace,” he said.

He also appealed to President Benigno Aquino 3rd to look into their plight. “We are appealing to President Aquino to help us.”

He said that at least 38 miners had been killed over the past years either by hired guns or mining-related incidents, which were mostly unreported in the media.

Promon group said: “The PGB is appealing to all those who wanted to mine in our ancestral domain individual, groups and corporations to temporarily stop operating and withdraw your armed groups to give peace a chance in our community, to lessen the fear of our women and children because of your intimidating firearms, and so that conflict between tribal leaders inside our community will be resolved.

“[Our] appeal does not necessarily mean that we oppose mining activities but we are asking some time so that we can process the titling of our ancestral domain until we are given the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title, [and] our Indigenous Political Structure is confirmed, and our Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan is crafted.”

The Amnesty International appealed to the government to give attention to the plight of indigenous peoples.

“The indigenous peoples are the most neglected by the government. We, in the Amnesty International, want the government to ensure that the rights of all, especially the indigenous peoples, whose rights are often violated,” Francis Marcial, of the Amnesty International Philippines, said during the same interview.

In a separate statement, Manda said that he is against all illegal activities, including mining.