The Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Katribu) vehemently condemns the killing of Datu Kaylo Bontolan on April 7, 2019 during a military operation perpetrated by elements of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines – Eastern Mindanao Command in Kitaotao, Bukidnon.
Datu Kaylo is a member of the National Council of Leaders of Katribu, a Manobo tribal chieftain in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, and a well-known Lumad leader of the Salugpongan community organization. He is also the Deputy Secretary General of PASAKA – Confederation of Lumad in Southern Mindanao.
The Lumad leader is the 60th victim of extrajudicial killings among indigenous peoples under the fascist Duterte regime. To justify the killings, the state military forces are quick to tag their victims as combatants of the New People’s Army (NPA), akin to the Lumad victims of massacre in Lake Sebu about two years ago.
Serving his fellow Lumad, Datu Kaylo was looking into the situation of the Manobo-Lumad communities who were victims of perennial internal displacement when he was killed by state military forces. These Lumad communities from Talaingod sought refuge in Kitaotao, Bukidnon due to the intense military operations and bombings in their ancestral domain that gravely affected their safety, livelihood, and way of life.
The Katribu, along with the indigenous peoples (IP) communities in the country, grieves for the death of one of its valiant leaders and defenders. Amid his young age and untimely demise, Datu Kaylo has sacrificed more than what a Lumad can give in a lifetime, in defense of their ancestral land and community schools.
To honor his death, the Katribu are calling for the end of Martial Law in Mindanao that has supported the attacks of the paramilitary groups, like the Alamara, against Lumad communities. The Martial Law in the region has also intensified the military operations that caused the frequent displacement of our Lumad brothers and sisters.
In the time of a murderous Duterte regime, Katribu calls on indigenous peoples to take to heart the courage, life, and sacrifices of Datu Kaylo for the people. We are also calling on indigenous peoples to unite, resist, and oppose the militarization of Pantaron Range as it will facilitate the entry of huge mining companies and destructive plantations in the area.
Let us not waste what Datu Kaylo, and the IP leaders before him, have started in defense of our lands. Let us honor their sacrifices by defending our ancestral domains, our right to self-determination, and the next generations. Our challenge for the indigenous peoples is to be more like Datu Kaylo and less of ourselves.