FOLLOWING the brutal death of an environmental advocate last Saturday, the wife and fellow leader of Higaonon chieftain Fausto Orasan, also known as Datu Sandigan, pressed the officials of Cagayan de Oro to pursue the datu’s battle against environmental issues.
Datu Sandigan’s wife Jesus Cita, also known as Bae Ematatao, urged the officials to advance the fight of her husband’s advocacies.
“We are calling the local government of Cagayan de Oro to continue what he [Datu Sandigan] started in which he had shed blood ever since,” Bae Ematatao told to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Wednesday night.
Datu Sandigan was a staunch environmental activist who went against illegal mining and logging activities in the hinterland areas of the city.
He died last Saturday, September 13, when he was waylaid around 3:30 p.m. in the village of Tuburan while on his way home to Barangay Pigsag-an.
Arsenio Magay, also known as Datu Sumagayan of Barangay Besigan, expressed his strong support for the legacy projects of Datu Sandigan to live on since it will benefit the majority of the city’s tribal folk.
“What we are hoping from the different agencies of the government is to see our battle – defending not only for the Higaonons but for the majority of Kagay-anons to prevent natural atrocities through environment protection,” Magay said Wednesday.
Magay furthered the tribe has been thankful to the city for supporting them in their fight against the irregularities in the hinterland, particularly illegal mining and logging.
Great loss
Among Datu Sandigan’s colleagues, Edwin Dael, chief of the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro), is the one saddened the most.
Dael said that Datu Sandigan’s demise is a great loss among environmental advocates since he had been at the forefront in the fight against illegal environmental activities.
His death rendered his post vacant since he chaired the city’s Indigenous Political Structure and as the indigenous representative to the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca).
He was also at the front line of the reforestation rehabilitation campaign in upland areas after Typhoon Sendong devastated the city in 2011 and claimed hundreds of lives here.
He also pioneered in the city council the distribution of ancestral domain and houses to his fellow Higaonons.
He was the proponent of the P1.8 million budget proposal the City Council approved last January for the construction of houses and creation of livelihood programs for the indigenous people.
For several times, Datu Sandigan spent his blood for the eradication of Chinese black sand mining operators in the city.
There are 13 barangays within the 30,000-hectare ancestral domain of Higaonons in Cagayan de Oro recognized by the city mayor.
Magay estimated their population can reach up to 50,000 individuals.
Motives
Bae Ematatao confirmed to this paper that the triggermen of her husband are acquaintances.
However, they cannot divulge the identities yet of the suspects since the authorities are still gathering documents that will stand as evidence.
Bae Ematatao is certain of the motive of her husband’s slay; it is linked to his opposition to illegal mining and logging.
“The one revealed by the police to us are acquaintances. But we cannot jump into conclusion and point at them. What is sure for now is everything that had happened was related to illegal mining and logging,” she said.
Meanwhile, authorities are looking at two angles of the brutal slay of Datu Sandigan—politics, and illegal mining and logging.
According to the wife, there are tribe leaders who oppose the Datu’s leadership because he is a half-blooded Lumad.
Bae Ematatao also recalled how they survived a previous ambush one afternoon on May 31, 1993 and a failed massacre attempt against her family on May 31, 2013.
Because of these circumstances and other life threats, Datu Sandigan had been advised not to frequent outside. But he defied the risks.
“He used to tell me ‘patay karon, patay ugma mao rang pataya,’” she recalled.
Full offensive
Meanwhile, Dael said Clenro and other concerned groups will go on full offensive against the illegal loggers and miners.
“Kung kinsay maligsan, maligsan. Dili namo itugot nga makawang ang gisakripisyo ni Datu,” Dael said during Datu Sandigan’s wake at the City Tourism Hall Wednesday night.
“If those behind his death think that we have cowered, they are mistaken. If they took out one person, another 50 will take his place,” he added.
Dael said Clenro and pro-environment groups like Sulog have agreed to put a stop to the illegal mining and logging activities in the city’s hinterland villages.
“The initial plan of the group is to establish a detachment in Barangay Pagalungan as center point, kung naay mahibal-an mag-operate (we can respond) 24/7,” he said.
Moreno’s relative
For his part, City Mayor Oscar Moreno has already instructed city police director, Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares, to solve Datu Sandigan’s killing as soon as possible.
“My instruction to him (Mijares) is to solve immediately the killing, identify the perpetrators, and surface the motive, whoever is involved. Were there instigators or mastermind? All those things should be clarified to bring those guilty to court so justice could be attained,” Moreno said.
He said the Datu’s death was a great loss since he was “the key component in our effort to protect the environment,” adding that he was a “strategic partner of the city government.”
Moreno also learned that Datu Sandigan was a relative, although he only knew about it after the Datu’s death.
“Daghan among mga interactions together, meetings and conferences. I always felt I had a soft heart for him. When I was told that we were related, I said ‘mao diay nga naa koy soft heart sa iya,” he added.