Are Lumads Left Out in the Quest for Peace in Mindanao?

Janette Serrano, commissioner of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for Central Mindanao, said groups representing the IPs have different political persuasions, as reflected on their stand on the MOA-AD and the BJE.

“One group cannot claim it represents the sentiments of the Lumad because there are others who have different beliefs, different points of view,” she said.

Lumads within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), for instance, fully support the scrapped agreement.

In their two-page statement on MOA-AD on August 17 (which MILF chief negotiator Mohaqer Iqbal allegedly received on August 18), members of the Teduray, Lambangian and Dulangan Manobo in Upi, Shariff Kabunsuan said the MOA-AD should be seen as “an opportunity to safeguard interests of the majority against erroneous systems.”

Calling themselves Lumad-ARMM, the tribal leaders also said in their statement that self-determination does not imply separating from the Moros. “Our free choice would help us preserve our self-determination, governance and ancestral domain within the BJE.”

Another Lumad group, the Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao (Kalumaran), also said they support the Bangsamoro’s call for self-determination and ancestral domains but doubted the motives of the Philippine government in “rushing” the MOA-AD with the MILF.

“The pact affirms and acknowledges the Lumads’ right to self-determination by recognizing Lumad territories under the BJE. But Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the big landlords, big businesses and imperialist power have used the MOA-AD to further their interests,” Kalumaran said.

It also said that the government “took advantage” of the confusion on the MOA-AD to renew offensives against the MILF. The clashes, now in its seventh week, have already displaced more than 500,000 persons in Central and Northern Mindanao.

Victoria Tauli-Corpus, chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNDRIP), called on the tribes at the Mindanao-Palawan indigenous peoples’ consultation to organize themselves.

“Do not let your political affiliations get into the process of shaping you own broad network. The main basis of your unity will be the UNDRIP,” said Corpus.

Serrano said that the challenge to tribal leaders now with regards to the MOA-AD is to overcome political differences and unite on one definite stand.

Pursue peace talks

Despite their criticism on the MOA-AD, the Mindanao-Palawan tribal leaders said they were saddened by its cancellation and called on both the MILF and the government to return to the negotiating table.

“We are not thankful that this [scrapping of MOA-AD] happened. It would have led to peace in Mindanao. What we wanted was to be included in the review and consultation, not to scrap it,” said Limikid.

Norma Capuyan, a Higaonon babaylan (woman leader or priestess) was especially critical of the authorities in Manila.

“This only shows the insincerity of the Arroyo administration,” she said. “They have been talking for years now, and then they drop everything just like that.”

The tribal leaders admitted that the MOA-AD is a tangible expression of the right to self-determination and would have been a first step for the Moro and the indigenous peoples in Mindanao towards peace. What they merely wanted, as their declaration states, was to be included in the process.

Timuay Nanding said it was regretful that the tribal leaders knew the details of the MOA-AD belatedly. “It would have been a very good springboard towards achieving peace,” he said. Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project

(The author is a journalist based in Northern Mindanao.)