A MEMBER of Tribal Indigenous Oppressed Group Association (Tindoga) was shot dead in Quezon town in Bukidnon Tuesday.
Mabini “Tata” Biato, a member of Tindoga, was allegedly shot by the security guards of a landowner in Barangay Botong.
Biato’s companions, Japsem Bagna and Ricky Tumbaga, were seriously wounded and brought to a hospital.
Tindoga is a claimant of the 300-hectare ancestral domain inside the Montalvan ranch.
Jomorito Goaynon, chairperson of Kalumbay regional lumad organization, said about 200 persons have been holding a bungkalan, a type of protest, to re-assert their claims to the land, since March 16.
Goaynon said the lumads were on their way to the site when about 30 armed men and security guards working for Pablo Lorenzo fired at them.
Biato, Bagna and Tumbaga were on their way to the bungkalan when they were fired at.
Bae Jocelyn Agdahan of Tindoga said the shooting is the latest in a series of harassment tactics by Lorenzo to wrestle control of the land from the lumads.
“Biato’s killing is the fifth case of assault perpetrated by Lorenzo, only this time a life of Tindoga member was lost,” Agdahan said.
Goaynon said the incident was reported to the police in Quezon but so far no arrest has been made.
Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro sent a text message to Insp. Jiselle Longakit, Bukidnon police spokesperson, to verify the incident.
Longakit forwarded a text message from the Quezon police confirming that a “certain Mabini Gabiano” was allegedly shot to death by unidentified blue guards of rancho Montalvan.” GCA