Shots fired during Ka Leody's visit in Bukidnon, several IPs injured —PLM

Shots were fired during the visit of presidential candidate Leody de Guzman and his camp in Barangay Butong, Quezon, Bukidnon Province on Tuesday, Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) campaign team said. 

In a message to reporters, PLM said de Guzman was in the province to help the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) of Manobo-Pulangiyon reclaim their ancestral lands.

PLM pointed out there were no confirmed deaths yet due to the incident, but two people were already confirmed having sustained gunshot wounds.

PLM said they are still verifying if there were other individuals injured.

“Ilan sa mga kasamahan nilang IPs ay tinamaan ng bala at nagtamo ng mga sugat. Malubha ang kalagayan ng mga kasamang IPs, bagama't wala pang naiulat na namatay sa pangyayari,” PLM said in a message to reporters.

(Some of the IPs were hit by bullets and sustained wounds. The hit IPs were in critical condition. However, there were no deaths reported in the incident so far.)

PLM said among the injured were Nanie Abela who is an organizer of farmers and farmworkers in Mindanao, and another unnamed tribal leader of Manobo-Pulangiyon.

De Guzman was with his senatorial candidates Roy Cabonegro and David D'Angelo.

In a tweet, de Guzman confirmed that he, Cabonegro, and D'Angelo are all safe.

Salamat sa mga nag-alala. Ako po at sila kasamang Roy Cabonegro at David D'angelo ay ligtas.

Ang tinamaan ay ang nasa tabi ko, si Nanie Abela, na organizer ng mga magsasaka sa Mindanao. Casualty rin ang isang lider ng tribong Manobo-Pulangiyon.

— Ka Leody de Guzman (@LeodyManggagawa) April 19, 2022

“Ang tinamaan ay ang nasa tabi ko, si Nanie Abela, na organizer ng mga magsasaka sa Mindanao. Casualty rin ang isang lider ng tribong Manobo-Pulangiyon,” he said.

De Guzman then called for peace in Mindanao and respect for the rights of IPs.

“Alam nating mayayaman at makapangyarihan ang ating binabangga sa labang ito. Ngunit ibang klase pa rin kapag talagang direkta tayong dinahas. Walang halaga sa kanila ang buhay nating mga maliliit,” he added.

(We know we are fighting the rich and powerful in this battle. However, it’s still different when we’re directly attacked. The lives of the other people are of no value to them.)

As of posting, PLM said de Guzman’s camp is now headed to the hospital.

More details about the incident will be provided soon, they added.

Police report

The Police Regional Office 10 (PRO 10), meanwhile, said they received a report of an alleged shooting incident that occurred at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday in Kiantig, San Jose, Quezon in Bukidnon.

The PRO 10 said one victim was reported shot and identified as a resident of Quezon, Bukidnon.

Police also said they sent personnel to the area to verify the report.

Initial investigation showed that a group of tribal petitioners allegedly forcibly entered private property, and the alleged shooting incident occurred thereafter, according to PRO 10. 

'Culture of impunity'

Meanwhile, Makabayan senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares denounced the incident, saying that it was not just an assault to the electoral system but also to the rights of the tribe to assert their jurisdiction on their ancestral land.

"The intent to silence is there, considering that one of the injured victims was standing beside Ka Leody, on top of the succeeding gunshots that rang in the area. This brazen attack results from the culture of impunity that President Rodrigo Duterte cultivated in the last six years," Colmenares said.

He said impunity should not be allowed to reign in the country.

"Walang lugar ang ganitong klaseng dahas sa ating lipunan, may eleksyon man o wala.  Kailangan pigilan ang ganitong sistemang nanggigipit sa ating mga katutubo, at kilalanin ang kanilang karapatan sa kanilang lupang ninuno," he said.

(This violence does not have a place in our society, especially when there's an election or none. Harassment against tribes must be stopped as their rights over their lands must be respected.) — With reports from Joviland Rita and Anna Felicia Bajo/KG/RSJ/AOL, GMA News