The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict has welcomed the recent ruling of the Court of Appeals affirming a Regional Trial Court’s conviction in the Talaingod 13 case.
“It is, above all, a victory not just for the Lumad communities of Mindanao, but for all indigenous peoples across the country,” the task force said.
The task force explained that for more than three decades, many Lumad communities have been treated as pawns by the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front and its legal machinery, drawn into an ideological and political agenda that did not serve their long-term welfare.
“They were paraded as symbols, mobilized for campaigns, and, in many instances, reduced to milking cows that sustained the movement’s operations. The court’s decision sends a strong message that exploitation, even when cloaked in the appearance of advocacy, should be confronted by law,” it said.
“The ruling is not an assault on activism, dissent, or the right to advocate for indigenous peoples. These freedoms remain protected by the Constitution. The conviction stems from specific acts found by the courts to have violated Republic Act 7610, which protects children from abuse, exploitation, and endangerment,” it added.
