Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas welcomes the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, calling it a significant step toward justice for the countless victims of human rights violations under his regime.
Duterte’s presidency was marked by widespread human rights abuses, which Indigenous and Moro Peoples across the country were not spared from.
Among the most heinous crimes under Duterte’s rule was the Bloody Sunday Massacre on March 7, 2021, which claimed the lives of Dumagats Randy and Puroy dela Cruz in Tanay, Rizal. The Tumandok Massacre on December 30, 2020, saw the brutal killing of nine Indigenous leaders in Panay. Earlier, the Lake Sebu Massacre on December 3, 2017, resulted in the deaths of eight Dulangan-Manobo and T'boli farmers in South Cotabato. These are just some of the many massacres committed under Duterte’s administration, with numerous other attacks on Indigenous communities still demanding justice.
Duterte’s imposition of Martial Law in Mindanao and the devastating Marawi Siege further led to grave human rights violations against the Moro and Lumad peoples, displacing thousands and inflicting untold suffering on their communities.
His administration also oversaw the relentless militarization and bombing of ancestral lands, forcing Indigenous communities to flee their homes and disrupting their way of life. These violent attacks resulted in numerous deaths and the destruction of livelihoods.
Additionally, the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) through Executive Order 70 and the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 escalated state repression. These policies fueled red-tagging, forced and fake surrenders, and heightened militarization, terrorizing and further dividing Indigenous communities.
Katribu calls on the Bongbong Marcos administration to immediately facilitate Duterte’s turnover to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face accountability for his crimes against humanity. We will not waver in our demand for justice for all victims of Duterte’s reign of terror.
Justice for all victims of extrajudicial killings! Jail Duterte now!
Reference:
Beverly Longid
National Convener
Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas
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