(Statement of the Defend Panay Network on the first year of the Tumandok massacre)
A YEAR has passed since elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Dec. 30, 2020) invaded the homes of nine Tumandok leaders, and right in front of their families, murdered the leaders in cold blood.
Three hundred sixty-five days after the massacre, the families and communities of the nine Tumandok martyrs continue to grieve, their sorrows unassuaged. The perpetrators of the murders were never bought to justice. The AFP and the PNP continue to terrorize indigenous peoples (IP) communities with their presence and verbal threats of a repeat of the massacre.
The AFP and the PNP continue to red tag the advocates of the Tumandok people.
But despite the grief and the terror that the military has wrought upon the Tumandok communities, the Tumandok people persevered. Despite the red-tagging, the harassment and the difficulties that they faced, the Tumandok advocates carry on with determination.
Through the joint efforts of the families, advocates and their legal counsels, 15 of the 16 illegally arrested Tumandoks were released. Through the efforts of the Tumandok advocates, the truth-narrative of what happened on that fateful morning of Dec. 30, 2020 remains, despite the lies and the misdirections that the military and their troll farm have spewed to the public.
The Tumandok people remain vigilant in seeking justice for their murdered leaders. The Tumandok people is determined to overcome the challenges that lie ahead. They will rise up from the ashes of their grief, and remembering the fighting words of their ancestors, will one day achieve justice for themselves.
We commemorate the first year of the Tumandok massacre. We give deep honor to the nine Tumandok martyrs, for their sacrifices and unfailing service to their communities. But today, we also celebrate the strength and determination of the Tumandok people and their communities in fighting for their ancestral lands, for their rights as indigenous peoples, and justice for their murdered leaders, fathers, sons, and husbands.
Justice for the victims of the Tumandok massacre!
Justice for all the victims of state terrorism!
Long live the nine martyrs of the Tumandok people!
Long live the Tumandok people!/PN
