SEVEN Lumad teachers and leaders underwent inquest proceedings on Wednesday morning, Feb. 17, 2021.

The inquest was facilitated by Mankilam Tagum City Prosecutor’s Office and conducted through Zoom, a video conference application.

The seven indigenous individuals were among those nabbed by police authorities on Monday, Feb. 15, in a retreat house owned by the SVD priests located inside the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus.

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Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7, said the evidence they have gathered is strong for the cases of human trafficking, child abuse, and kidnapping they are preparing to file against them.

With the help of an interpreter, a parent of a minor who is a Manobo told Superbalita Cebu that the teachers only asked for permission to bring their children to Davao City in 2018, not to Cebu Province. This is contrary to the statement released by Save Our Schools (SOS) Network Cebu.

The parent said that when they learned that their children are in Cebu, they asked for help from their tribe leaders and the government of Davao del Norte.

CHR 7 inquiry