IP groups condemn attacks vs youth

“[W]e should not be silent because silence is the ally of the system that oppresses us from our rights.“

By Aaron Ernest Cruz
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Indigenous youth should learn from their elders as they struggle for meaningful change. 

This is the reflection of Ephin Falyao, 20, a Balangao-Ilias Igorot youth from the Mountain Province who were among the youth who gave tribute on November 20 to indigenous leaders who sacrificed their lives fighting for their rights.  

Falyao said that the youth should learn from their leaders’ dedication to fight not only for their ancestral lands but also for their civil and political rights as the state continuously attacks the indigenous peoples’ (IP) community.

“Aside from the fact that we will inherit the future, it will also depend on us what will happen as we grow older, we decide on what will happen in our country. It is much better as a youth if we started to participate and be critical on politics and social issues to know what we should and should not do to avoid repeating the same mistake our leaders did,” Falyao told Bulatlat in an interview. 

Falyao’s group Siklab Philippine Indigenous Youth Network helped organize the tribute “Pamana at  Pakikibaka: Gabi ng Parangal sa mga Katutubong Bayani.” The event is part of this year’s  International Indigenous Peoples Heroes Day. 

Among those given tribute were the victims of the Sta. Lucia 5 Massacre allegedly perpetrated by the 81st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, namely youth martyr Marxes “Ka Jigs” Dazzon, also known as Samman who was killed along with four others. They also condemned the killing of the IP youth Mangyan-Hanunuo Jay-el Maligday, Lumad-Manobo Kuni Cuba, and Elioterio Ugking under Marcos Jr. administration.

Falyao said that P5,000 given by the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) to Maligday’s family is unjust and not enough for the lives of IP Youth that lost not only their lives but also their future. According to the family, they only received P3,000 instead of the promised P5,000. 

“They did not fully acknowledge that the [state forces] did this, that they resorted to violence on civilians. Then they will not put an end to these practices of human rights violations. So the compensation is [not] the justice that the family needs,” Falyao said.

The groups also demanded justice for Angel and Lenie Rivas who were raped and killed by the soldiers of the 3rd Special Forces Battalion of the Philippine Army under Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

Falyao stressed the youth’s vital role in amplifying the calls for IP rights and not just to commemorate but also to embody the undying spirit of the IP heroes who dedicate their lives to protecting their rights and their ancestral lands.

For her, the two most important traits were staying optimistic despite the current “rotten” system that needs to be changed and maintaining an undying spirit of struggle for liberation and self-determination. “The push to organize and act collectively is crucial. That is one of the practices that we get from our heroes, from our martyrs. They’re spirit of struggle is admirable.”

International Indigenous Peoples Heroes Day is rooted in Indigenous Nigerian activist Ken Saro-Wiwa from Ogani Tribe who was executed by the Abacha regime on Nov. 10, 1995 while fighting for the rights of his tribe and their ancestral land against the oil giants that exploit their resources.

Since then, the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation declared Nov. 10 as International Indigenous Peoples Heroes Day, honoring and remembering the contribution of the IPs fight for the future generation globally.

Runs in the blood

Falyao was born in Cordillera but she grew up in Manila. But even then, she said, she also witnessed the struggle of not just her family but also their own community. “When I became a student-journalist in high school, we covered several social issues during Duterte’s administration, especially the situation of Lumad. We went to the evacuation of Lumad at [the University of the Philippines or UP] Diliman and there are speakers who tell stories about the human rights violations they experience in their hometown. So although I’m still much younger during that time, I already have an idea that what happened is the worst and it should not happen to anyone.”

Falyao became more exposed to the social realities of the marginalized sector, especially on IP rights when she became a college student at UP Diliman. Through the stories of her relatives, particularly her older sister who became part of an IP advocacy group, she grew more aware of these struggles. But for her, awareness is not enough; they must act to protect IP rights.

“With the experience of Filipinos on the effect of worsening corruption, it is hard to just let it go and to just stay angry. We need a collective and progressive approach on fighting against social injustice and human rights violations that persist here in the Philippines. From a collective approach, we can do more to fight for what is just and what is right,” Falyao said.

Resist abusive state

For Funa-ay Claver of Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Katribu), both Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte should be held accountable not just for the killings of IP youth but also for other human rights violations here in the Philippines. “Both of them killed indigenous people, both of them directly bombed their community, and they gave away the ancestral lands for foreign and interests of the elite. They’re both corrupt, fascist, and enemies of the masses and indigenous people.”

Claver said, ”[W]e should not be silent because silence is the ally of the system that oppresses us from our rights. We are the one who will continue the fight, we will continue to demand a society that is free and just.”

Falyao encouraged the youth to not succumb to fear despite the continuous attacks and harassment on them. “[I]f we let our fear win, then we let the state win to oppress us. We should not let our fear hinder us in fighting for our rights and to continue the fight of our ancestors for our future to become better.” (AMU, DAA)

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