Help desks for tribal folk to address killings

LAGAWE, Ifugao -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples have set up help desks to address the concerns of indigenous groups, particularly the killings of their leaders.

The defense department, through its human rights desks, has committed to work with the NCIP in crafting a quick response protocol to help leaders of indigenous groups who are facing death threats and harassment and to seek justice, too, for those who were slain.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat, in a statement, said the NCIP, the main agency tasked to uphold the rights and welfare of indigenous groups, has also formed a task force to quickly respond to human rights violations against tribal folk and their leaders.

“These concerted actions from various government agencies are a welcome move to address the injustices committed against indigenous leaders struggling for the defense of their ancestral domains against destructive projects and land grabbing,” Baguilat said.

“With these (actions), indigenous peoples now have more avenues for the redress of their grievances and they don’t have to travel all the way to Manila to lobby for their issues,” he added.