IBP delivers authorized support to Capiz tribal folk
3 min readMANILA, Philippines — The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) is featuring free of charge authorized expert services to the families of leaders and customers of the Tumandok tribe whose kin had been killed or arrested in last week’s coordinated law enforcement procedure in the provinces of Capiz and Iloilo.
“We consider that some of their rights had been violated and that there was some thing improper with the implementation of the lookup warrants,” Remia Fuentes-Bartolome, president of IBP Capiz, explained to the Inquirer in a phone interview on Thursday.
Bartolome reported the IBP is eager to assistance the members of the indigenous peoples’ (IP) team, from drafting lawful documents to acting as legal counsels. “We know that they are not able to find the money for to use lawyers and it is important that their legal rights will be secured,” she mentioned.
FLEEING VIOLENCE Inhabitants of Barangay Lahug in Tapaz, Capiz, leave their village to seek basic safety in the city centre after 9 of their neighborhood leaders were being killed and 16 some others were being arrested in a law enforcement procedure on Dec. 30, 2020. — CONTRIBUTED Picture
Serving warrants
Nine Tumandok leaders had been killed while 16 others were arrested in the Dec. 30 procedure in two villages in Calinog town in Iloilo and seven villages in Tapaz town in Capiz.
The police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Team, which led the procedure, has insisted that individuals slain fired 1st at policemen who have been serving 28 lookup warrants for firearms and explosives.
Police and army officials have also claimed that the fatalities have been leaders of the Communist Get together of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.
But the households of all those slain and several village officials have belied the claims, stressing that the firearms were “planted.”
Several of those people killed were being community leaders, former or incumbent village officials, and officers of the Tumandok corporation, an alliance of IP communities in Capiz and Iloilo which is opposing the design of huge dams in these provinces.
The Philippine Countrywide Police’s Regional Interior Affairs Service is conducting its individual investigation to ascertain probable lapses in the law enforcement procedure.
Police have submitted 40 issues from all those arrested for violation of Republic Act No. 9516 (Illegal Possession of Explosives) and RA 10591 (Complete Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).
‘Culture bearers’
Human legal rights and farmers teams, church leaders, IP legal rights advocates, academicians, artists, writers and other cultural employees have separately identified as for an unbiased probe.
“As involved customers of the academe, we uphold Tumandok collective legal rights and stand side by facet with their simple humanity … We are enraged with this cruel pre-New Year mowing of rights and life! We as a result add our voices to the developing get in touch with for the impartial and unbiased investigation,” in accordance to a assertion signed by extra than 40 school associates, cultural employees, artists and IP rights advocates in the nation.
In a separate statement, users of Panay Indigenous Lifestyle Advocacy Group raised worry around the security and very well-becoming of the Tumandok.
“The reduction of a maaram (figured out) lifestyle bearer is irreplaceable … the students are disturbed by the trauma that the recent gatherings have introduced to the small children, ladies and respected magurang—the elder associates of the neighborhood who are the cultural bearers and keepers of indigenous traditions,” the team claimed.

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