Lumads' Decalre Tribal War Against NPA

Davao City (CNN Philippines) — A leader of indigenous people or 'lumad' in Talaingod, Davao del Norte said on Wednesday (January 20) that his group had declared tribal war or "pangayao" against the New People's Army (NPA) in their ancestral domain.

Datu Lumansad Sibungan clarified, though, that civilians, especially the minors, would not be involved in the ongoing conflict.

This developed after a lumad farmer and a teenage student were killed in the fighting over the weekend.

Last Sunday, NPA rebels belonging to Guerilla Front 55 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) reportedly killed a lumad farmer, identified as Donato Salangani.

Salangani, a father of six children, reportedly declared pangayao earlier against the rebels upon learning that his daughter, 18-year-old Tessie, died while inside the UCCP Compound in Haran. But he never saw the remains of his daughter.

In a blotter of the incident at the Office of the Ata-Manobo Council of Elders of Talaingod, Salangani's wife, Colorot, reported that their group was ambushed by NPAs at Sitio Sambulongan, Barangay Baugan.

She identified the NPAs who ambushed them and killed her husband as Luib Daus alyas Bagani, Dalahis Manlulugpis alyas Carlos and Tudtud Ladahay.

Salangani's death allegedly triggered a retaliatory attack that led to the killing of 15-year-old student of Salugpungan school in Talaingod on the same day.

The student was identified as Alibando Tingkas, reportedly a tribal member of Salangani's killers.

The suspect was identified as Joven Salangani — a cousin of the slain farmer, according to the local council of elders.

Meanwhile, the council had made a call for the two sides to settle the conflict before the tribal justice system.

http://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2016/01/20/Lumad-Pangayao-Davao-del-Norte.html