Former Lumad Resistance Leader Disillusioned with Salugpungan

Datu Guibang Apogo who once represented the lumad resistance in Talaingod bared that he was disillusioned with the movement he helped established in the hinterlands of Talaingod.

“We once believed Salugpungan will greatly help us but what happened was that we were tricked,” Guibang said in his native Ata Manobo language.

Datu Guibang together with indigenous community (lumad) leaders in Talaingod visited the weekly Kapehan sa SM Davao media forum held today (Dec. 3). The group earlier conducted a protest rally on Dec. 1 in Talaingod where they condemned the presence of the New Peoples Army in their area.

“I already left Salugpungan because I can no longer understand and no longer think that they are doing the right thing to us,” Datu Guibang said.

Datu Guibang Apoga was the defiant leader of Talaingod Manobos who organized the Salugpungan ‘Ta Igkangun which translates to Unity for the Defense of the Ancestral Land which was affiliated with the New Peoples Army presence in the area.

The organization would spawn off a school popularly called Salugpungan (unity) which became controversial with its alleged links to the communist movement.

After years of fighting Datu Guibang surrendered to the Army in the middle of this year.

Various lumad leaders in Talaingod denounced the Communist Party of the Philippines/New Peoples Army presence in municipality accusing the leftist group as responsible for the numerous atrocities in the town particularly the killings of tribal leaders.

Renewed calls against the NPAs and the Salugpungan schools in Talaingod started after police arrested Bayan Muna president Satur Ocampo, Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro along with 16 others for human trafficking when they took 12 Lumad minors from Talaingod without the consent of their parents.

Ocampo, Castro and 16 others were released after they posted bail. (PIA RG Alama)