Four hurt as gunshots disrupt meeting between Ka Leody, Manobo community on land issues

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:32 p.m.) — Gunshots marred a meeting among Partido Lakas ng Masa candidates with the Manobo-Pulangiyon people in Quezon, Bukidnon province on Tuesday.

PLM presidential candidate Leody De Guzman and senatorial bets Roy Cabonegro and David D’Angelo joined the Manobo-Pulangiyon people to discuss reported land grabbing on their ancestral domain in Bukidnon.

The gunshots were caught on D’Angelo’s live Facebook stream at the 15:59 mark.

One of those hit by a bullet said that shots were fired while they were fixing their tents in the area. 

“Ang pagkilos nila ay para bawiin ang lupang kinamkam sa mga indigenous people. 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’s campaign team said in an advisory after the incident.

(The purpose of their demonstration was to reclaim the land seized from the IPs. Some of our IP friends were hit by bullets and sustained wounds. They are currently in critical condition, but no deaths resulting from the incident have been reported so far.)

De Guzman, in a Twitter post, said that he, Cabonegro, and D’Angelo were safe,

However,  farmers and farmworkers organizer Nanie Abela and an unnamed community leader of the Manobo-Pulangiyon were injured.

Kapayapaan sa Mindanao! Igalang ang karapatan ng mga indigenous people at Bangsa Moro.

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

Laban ng Masa, in a statement made at 3 p.m., said that at least four people were shot and wounded. One of them was reportedly shot in the chest. 

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

(We know that we are going against the rich and powerful in this battle. But it sends a different message when we are directly harassed. Our little lives are of no value to them.)

Sana ay ligtas ang mga tinamaan ng bala sa pag-atake sa ating aktibidad kanina. Tuloy ang laban!

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

In a separate post, an emotional D’Angelo said they will continue to hold live video streams for security purposes.

Along with De Guzman, they were then on their way to a hospital.

Their campaign team said De Guzman and his team in Bukidnon have split up to help those wounded and keep the IPs safe.

The PLM bets are in Bukidnon recently conducted consultations with IP leaders of the Manobo-Pulangiyon on land-grabbing issues.