IP lawmaker hits NPA's recruitment of tribal minors

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 9): IP lawmaker hits NPA's recruitment of tribal minors

An Indigenous Peoples (IP) legislator in South Cotabato on Monday hit the communist New People's Army (NPA) for taking advantage of IPs in its recruitment activities.

Speaking to reporters, South Cotabato Board Member Fulong Edgar Sambong, an IP mandatory representative to the provincial council, said the IPs are peace-loving people and shun armed struggle.

"Please spare the innocent Indigenous Peoples (IP) children from your ideological struggle," he told the guerillas through the local media.

Speaking to reporters Monday afternoon, Sambong said he received reliable information from South Cotabato's tribal leaders that the communist guerillas have been recruiting and training IP minors to join the armed struggle against the government.

"I was told the NPAs have been taking advantage of IP minors' poverty and lack of education," Sambong said.

Colonel Allan Alcudia, 27th Infantry Battalion commander whose unit covers the South Cotabato, corroborated Sambong's statement that NPAs prey on innocent IP teenagers in its recruitment activities.

Last month, four young communist rebels fled the movement and returned to the fold of the law. They all belonged to IP communities in the province.

To protect the rights and interest of indigenous peoples, Sambong urged tribal leaders to unite and have one voice.

The South Cotabato provincial government have recently conducted an enhancement training-seminar for IP leaders where they were educated about the Indigenous Peoples Right Act (IPRA) Law, Barangay Governance Administration, Elements of Good Governance, "Bayanihan" between IPs and government law enforcers.

Sambong stressed that once the IPs are empowered, they will know their rights about their ancestral domain and they will be free from abuse, especially from the hands of communist guerillas and multi-national firms.

The IP lawmaker has been organizing IP political structure “so they can advance issues that directly affect them.”

He said problems that directly affect the IPs can be addressed effectively if they are organized politically.

“We are peace loving people. Our greatest challenge is on how to elevate our plight in terms of malnutrition and on how to ease poverty,” he said.

Mandated under RA 8371 or Indigenous Peoples Representative Act of 1997 (IPRA law), the IP mandatory representative is required in all local legislative councils and policy-making bodies.

Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code also provides that the powers and functions of the IPMR should be the same as the regular member of the legislative council.

However, the focus should be to recognize, protect and promote the rights of indigenous cultural communities.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=825062