MANILA (UCAN): “Do we have to kill our perceived enemies, especially the unarmed? Is this the way we celebrate Christmas as a Christian country and welcome the New Year? Can we consider this a great accomplishment that nine tribal leaders were killed?” Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, Negros Occidental province, the Philippines, asked following the killing of nine indigenous group leaders during an attempted mass arrest on 30 December 2020.
The nine were shot dead when government forces attempted to arrest 28 people from the Tumandok indigenous group, accused of being communist rebels, in Tapaz, Capiz province, in the Visayas region.
Authorities claimed that many of the suspects tried to resist arrest and those killed were shot after opening fire on security forces. Another 17 people were arrested.
However, the Archdiocese of Capiz, disputed the claim, saying it was unlikely the victims fired the first shots.
The archdiocese’s Social Action Centre condemned what it called unnecessary use of force and demanded a full investigation.
“Show us genuine results founded on truth and justice,” it said in a statement released on January 3.
In his statement Bishop Alminaza remarked that he was no stranger to “red tagging” (being labelled communist) and extrajudicial killings as many churchgoers in his diocese have been accused of being members of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“How long will this spiral of violence continue? Have we run out of peaceful means? Do we really, seriously believe this is an effective and lasting way to resolve our social ills?” he asked.
The bishop also said that the incident was an attack against indigenous people, the very group that the law sought to protect.
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“Indigenous people are supposed to be protected by the government. They are defenseless and many of them still need education. Instead of killing them … arm them with an education so that they can grasp issues better,” he demanded.
