Beef up protection for lumads-Zozobrado

Concerned government agencies should review their policies and programs to make sure that the indigenous peoples of Davao City are being provided the protection they need from unscrupulous people.

This was the call made by councilor Rachel Zozobrado as a result of the murder of Dato Dominador Diarog, tribal chieftain of the Bagobo-Klata tribe last April 29 after his family was strafed by unknown gunmen in their abode in Sitio Kahusayan, Barangay Manuel Guianga, Tugbok District.

“I am sure that the government is doing everything it can to protect all its citizens, including the lumads. However, considering what happened to Dato Diarog, the government can do more to beef up such protection,” Zozobrado said.

She said there is a government agency specifically mandated by law to formulate and implement policies related to the recognition, promotion and protection of the rights of the indigenous people. There are also laws regulating the purchase of properties classified as ancestral domains but it all boils down to proper implementation.

Initial investigation of the Tugbok Police District shows that the murder of Diarog may be related to a land issue specifically the farmland of Diarog which is near the compound of “Jesus Christ the Name Above Every Name”, a religious group headed by pastor Quiboloy.

Before his death, Diarog himself reported to the Tugbok Police about the three attempts to burn his house after he declined an offer for the purchase of his 2-hectare lot for a measly P50,000. The three attempts were foiled but the fourth once succeeded and managed to burn down his property.

Despite the “warnings”, Diarog did not budge and still refused to sell his land. The police are eyeing this angle as a possible motive for his murder and for the wounding of his wife Emily and two children ages 8 and 4.