TVI Guard Shoots Ancestral Land Holder (Philippines) - 22nd August 2001

TVI Guard Shoots Ancestral Land Holder (Philippines) - 22nd August 2001

Canatuan, Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte - A member of Siocon Subanon Association Inc. (SSAI), a legitimate and legal holder of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim (CADC) issued by the Philippine Government suffered multiple wounds from gun fire by a Security Guard of TVI Pacific Group of Companies on August 17th 2001.

Onsino Mato, Secretary of SSAI, identified the person who was fired at by the high powered rifle as Johnson Lingala, a Subanon, resident of Sitio Paduan Candis, Siocon Zamboanga del Norte, an area also covered by SSAI CADC, 30 of age, married with two children.

The perpetrator who fired the high powered rifle was identified as Osias Dalman, a TVI Security Guard, who manned an established checkpoint of the company, where the belongings and goods of local people can be confiscated.

At around ten in the morning of August 17, Mr. Lingala brought one container of crude oil for night lamps, but he was approached by the perpetrator together with his companions identified as Dodong Sumalat and a certain Borja, who are also TVI guards.

The victim was commanded by the perpetrator to put down his container of crude oil, but the victim was not able to hear because he is deaf. His leg was then shot at by Dalman, but the bullets hit to the ground and the splinters hit the legs of the victim resulting in his suffering four wounds.

The victim is now contemplating fileing a case against TVI and its guards after being counselled by DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI), a Church, NGOs/POs and Indigenous People Committee not to respond with force.

The vitim's container of crude oil has been confiscated by the security guard without issuing a seizure receipt.

For many years now, the SSAI has continued to struggle in opposing the entry of TVI Pacific Group of companies from encroaching on the ancestral land of Indigenous People Subanon. The SSAI vows to fight against TVI and other large-scale mining here, until the last drop of their blood, Onsino Mato, Secretary of SSAI and other leaders here, told a worker of DCMI, because it (their land) is the only thing left to them since time immemorial from their ancestors.

Report by Tito Fiel, DCMI