Katungod Lumad Alert:
Indigenous activist slain in San Luis, Agusan del Sur
Another indigenous activist has been added to the increasing figure of extrajudicial killings of Lumad in Mindanao. Lito Abion, 44 years old, a habal-habal (motorcycle for hire) driver, was waiting for passengers when he was fired upon by two gunmen on September 28, 2015.
He was a member of Tagdumahan, a Lumad (collective term for the indigenous peoples of Mindanao) organization in San Luis, Agusan del Sur. Tagdumahan has been resisting the entry of mining in the ancestral lands of the Banwaon and Manobo peoples in Agusan del Sur. The members refused to merge their areas with the group of Mario Napungahan, a chieftain who had been pushing for a unified Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (or CADT, the tenurial instrument imposed by the Philippine government on the ancestral lands of indigenous peoples). They fear that the unified CADT under Napungahan, who is known to be open to mining, would result to the destruction of their lands.
At around 12 noon of September 28, the victim with his fellow drivers, were waiting for passengers at the terminal of Purok 2, Dona Flavia, San Luis, Agusan del Sur. The group was talking when a red Honda XRM motorcycle, with two men, parked nearby. After a few moments, the passenger of the motorcycle pulled out a handgun and fired at Lito. The victim sustained two bullet wounds in his back and another in the nape. The gunman then boarded the motorcycle and left.
Jun-jun, a habal-habal driver who had witnessed the killing, said that it was the same motorcycle the gunmen used when village chieftain Angis Precioso, a founding member of Tagdumahan, was gunned down by suspected state forces under the 29th Infantry Battalion stationed in San Luis, Agusan del Sur December 22, 2014.
Mario Napungahan was a former member of the New People’s Army (NPA). He was recruited by the Philippine Army as a member of the Civilian Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) when he surrendered. As member of the CAFGU, he joined the military operations of the Philippine Army in the Lumad communities. But holding the title of a datu (one of the community leaders), he used his influence and position to form an armed group known to the community as Rebel Returnees. These armed men function as an informal auxiliary force of the military, joining the state forces in their operations in the communities
Mario accused all Tagdumahan leaders and members who refused to sign the application of a unified CADT as supporters or members of the NPA, passing them as legitimate targets for counter-insurgency operations. In 2005, several members of Tagdumahan– Virgie Solis, Inday Lozada, Mat Morales and Bebot Nuer – were killed by suspected state or state-sponsored elements. They were all accused by Mario as either members or supporters of the NPA. Lito was also among those accused so he was forced to leave San Luis that same year. Lito returned to San Luis only last year, 2014.
EXPRESS YOUR CONCERN to the Philippine Government by writing to:
H.E. Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Republic of the Philippines
Malacañang Palace
JP Laurel Sr. San Miguel
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]
Hon. Leila M. de Lima
Secretary, Department of Justice
DOJ Main Building, Padre Faura Street, Manila
Tel: 523-8481 (loc. 211/214 ), 521-1908
Fax: 524-5936
Email: [email protected]
Ret. Lt. Gen. Voltaire T. Gazmin
Secretary, Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Building
Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-6193
Fax:+63(2) 911-6213
Room 301 DND Building
Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-6193
Fax:+63(2) 911-6213
Hon. Jose Luis Martin Gascon
Chairperson, Commission On Human Rights

SAAC Building, Commonwealth Avenue
UP Complex, Diliman, Quezon City
928-5655, 926-6188
Telefax: 929-0102
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III
Chair, Justice and Human Rights Committee
Philippine Senate
Rm. 512 GSIS Bldg., Financial Center,
Roxas Blvd., Pasay City
Trunk Lines: (632) 552-6601 to 70 loc. 5548
Direct Lines: (632) 822-9758
Fax No.: (632) 822-9759
Email: [email protected]
Rep. Guillermo Romarate Jr.
Chair, Human Rights Committee
House of Representatives
Quezon City
Rm. RVM-426
Phone: (632) 931-5001; local 7051, 9518974
Leonor T. Oralde-Quintayo
Chair, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
2/F N. dela Merced Bldg.
corner West & Quezon Ave., Quezon City
Tel.: 373-9942
Hon. Democrito O. Plaza
Governor, Province of Agusan del Sur
Government Center, Prosperidad,
Agusan del Sur, CARAGA Region,
Philippines
Tel. : (085) 343-7144 / 343-7136; 343-3750/Â 343-3751
Fax : (085) 343-7369 / 242-3801
E-mail: [email protected]
Hon. Ronaldo Y. Corvera
Mayor, Municipality of San Luis
Municipal Hall, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur
Tel.:Â 0916-5569870
Copy furnish your letters to [email protected]
Katungod Lumad Alert is published by the ‘Higala sa Lumad’ [Friends of the Lumad] Network.
Â
‘Higala sa Lumad’ Network is a support group composed of a broad range of interfaith personalities/representative of organizations synergizing relevant capacities and resources for Lumad communities under attack. ‘Higala’ also serves as an informal monitoring network for Lumad human rights. ‘Higala’ has been established as a component of the ‘Healing the Hurt’ Project.
Published with support from the European Commission.
Â
This document reflects the views only of RMP-NMR Inc and the ‘Healing the Hurt’ Project partners, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
