The 14-member city council of Marikina, led by Vice Mayor Jose Fabian Cadiz on Wednesday approved on third and final reading a resolution condemning the series of lumad killings in Mindanao, recognizing the need to protect the internally displaced indigenous people from attacks of private armed groups.
City Resolution No. 15-235 has made Marikina the first LGU to intercede and urge the national government to stop the attacks against lumads and recognize the need to preserve their culture.
“Upon hearing the news, we knew from the city government that still have a moral obligation to call for an end to violence to our brothers in the South, especially in their schools and communities, the plunder of their natural resources and the destruction of their indigenous culture,” Councilor Joseph Banzon, principal sponsor of the measure, said in an interview.
The city council said that they would be furnishing copies of the newly approved resolution to government agencies and departments, such as the Office of the President, the National Commission on Indigenous People, and the Congress.
Meanwhile, Bayan NCR Chairperson and former Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino welcomed the passage of the city resolution.
“We are seeking to support in spreading awareness on these issues our lumad brothers. We’ve talked to various LGUs, and Marikina was first to respond. The city have seen the measure as a way to support our lumad brothers and end the violence against IP communities,” said Palatino.
Dulphy Ugan, a lumad tribal leader who came all the way from Mindanao just to witness the proceedings, thanked the Marikina City Government for passing the measure.
“We are thanking the Marikina City Government for supporting our struggle and preserving our local culture, especially to our fellow leaders who were killed and many others experiencing human rights violations in Mindanao,” Ugan said.
Palatino added that the passage of the resolution in Marikina only marks the start of many LGUs taking action on the plight of the Lumads, with the same measure in Quezon City currently on the talks and another one in Caloocan, now under second reading.