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126 tribes want solon’s resignation

September 15, 2021 Joel dela Torre 529 views

SOME 126 tribes of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) called for the resignation of Bayan Party-list Representative Eufemia Cullamat and other Makabayan Bloc members in Congress.

The IP group declared Cullamat as “persona no grata” saying she does not represent them and her claim to be indigenous is grave violation to their customs and practices.

According to Gaye Florendo, assistant spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the IPS will no longer tolerate and allow Cullamat and the Makabayan Bloc including Kabataan Reps. Sara Elago and Carlos Isagani Zarate to misrepresent, manipulate and use the indigenous communities to serve their violent political agenda.

The IPs resolution against the “Lefts” was read by Florendo during a virtual press conference last Monday.

“This is actually a call for them to resign from their posts,” Florendo said.

The call was made after the Makabayan Bloc blocked the budgets of the agencies mandated to provide basic services to the IPs.

According to the group, this was particularly because the link and support of these partylist groups to the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) have become clearer, from statements of former high-ranking leaders of the CPP-NPA who surrendered and were recruited to the NPA through these partylist groups.

Florendo is confident that this unified call against Cullamat and the Makabayan bloc is “only the start and will continue.”

“Malinaw para sa ating mga IP communities, na hindi lang ito tungkol sa misrepresentation and false claims, at pagho-hostage at pagpilay sa kakayahan at mandato ng pamahalaan na maghatid ng serbisyo sa ating mga katutubo kungdi ang panagutin sina Rep. Cullamat, ang Makabayan bloc at ang CPP-NPA sa mga krimeng nagawa nila sa ating mga katutubong pamayanan, gaya ng pag-rekrut, pag-organisa at ang tuloy-tuloy na pagpaslang ng ating mga IPs, kabataan, kababaihan at mga tradisyunal na lider,” Florendo stressed.

On the other hand, Datu Rico Maca, Municipal Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur said, though Cullamat is also an IP member of the Manobo Tribe, she failed to represent them, while receiving no action or support from Cullamat even as they helped Bayan Muna gain a seat in Congress.

Datu Rico said he saw no remorse and condemnation from Rep. Cullamat in the killing of IP leaders and the unabated recruitment of indigenous youth and women to Bayan Muna and the CPP-NPA-NDF through alternative schools, ALCADEV and TRIFPPS in Surigao del Sur.

“Malinaw po sa amin na hindi po ang kapakanan ng mga katutubo ang mahalaga kay Rep. Cullamat kundi ang CPP-NPA. Hindi na po kami magtataka dahil ang kanyang anak mismo ay miyembro ng CPP-NPA. Manlilinlang sila, balakid at banta sa aming mga katutubo at mamamatay tao. Kaya’t kami po ay nananawagan sa kanyang pag-resign. Tulungan ninyo sana kaming panagutin sila,” Datu Rico said.

Meanwhile, Rurelyn Bay-ao, a 26-year-old former Bakwit scholar who was recruited at the young age of 12 in 2012 and still in Grade-6, said if she had not surrendered, she might be one of the young IP NPA warriors who were injured or killed in gun battles with government troops.

Bay-ao recounted how she was waylaid by false promises when she was recruited, in the hope that she would avail of free education but was only used as a mouthpiece in rallies and other school and universities recruitment schemes of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

She added that during her talks in universities and the last time she appeared in a Congressional Inquiry, she was briefed by their leaders on what to say as she is also not allowed to tell what has not been told.

“Lahat ng aming gagawin like rallies…lahat may briefing. Tinuturo ang mga sasabihin namin,” she said as she vowed that she will now help other IP youth recruited by the CPP-NPA-NDF get out of the clutches of the terrorist group.

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