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Saturday, May 10, 2008
Slain datu's kin cry for justice
DAVAO CITY -- The family and relatives of slain tribal leader Dominador Diarog wants an assurance of safety and a genuine pursuit of justice from the Davao City Government.
On Thursday, the motley group of lumads trooped to the City Hall in the hope of having a dialogue with the mayor but failed to get one.
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Lumads said they will continue to stay with non-government organizations in the city, which has offered them shelter, until Mayor Rodrigo Duterte grants them a meeting.
"We are thankful that there are people who showed us mercy by helping us. There was somebody who assured us we will be able to talk to the mayor but we were not able to do so. Most of us were already hungry. It is a blessing that some groups helped and fed us," Diolito Diarog, nephew of the slain datu, said in a press conference Friday.
The young Diarog said they are afraid for their safety especially after their leader was killed. Their families have fled from their lands at sitio Kahusayan, Barangay Manguel Guianga after the incident.
The late datu Diarog was killed while he was asleep with his family in their house last April 29.
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Diolito said in their new place, four to five families live in every makeshift cottage about eight by 10 meters in size with a small cooking area.
"Due to the crowded space, illness has spread among the families especially with the children. Even with that, they would not want to return to our land because of fear," said Diolito.
Diolito also alleged that unknown men wanted to pick them up at the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) Friday morning.
"Because we had nowhere to go, Sagip and Pasaka offered to provide shelter. We were lodged here while others stayed at Bolton Elementary School. In the morning, one of our tribal elders came with two men we did not recognize. We hid inside the rooms out of fear and had the staff tell them we already left thus they also left. Sometime after that, our tribal leader sent a message through text apologizing and saying he was just forced to accompany the men," he said.
It was Junaz Diarog, Diolito's brother, who saw their elder, Datu Dokris escorted by the unknown men. Diolito, Junaz, and Danny, son of the late tribal leader, were the ones who were sheltered at the IFI Compound.
Diolito said that when they inquired with the Bolton Elementary School security guard, the man said their fellow lumads were fetched by a blue van at midnight by armed men in military outfit.
The family fears that these are attempts to silence their search for justice, thus calling on the mayor to meet them and provide ample security.
"Our only wish is that we can go back and live there safely and peacefully," Diolito said.
He also did not hesitate to pinpoint Barangay Tamayong Captain Gregorio Canada as the person who offered to buy the late datu's land but was refused by the tribal chief.
"He threatened our uncle and told him he was stubborn for refusing to sell the land," he said.
Diolito added that his own family was forced to sell their land due to Canada's pressure. "They blocked our way so we cannot bring our produce to the city thus we decided to sell," he added. (GLP/Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (May 10, 2008 issue)
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