Ata-Manobo leaders condemn fake pastors for deceiving IP minors

From Left to Right: Datu Inaro Federico, Datu Andigao Agay, and Datu Sarmiento Lugsi

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Feb. 23 (PIA) – Leaders from the Ata-Manobo tribe in Talaingod have condemned the non-government organizations (NGO) who pretend to be a religious church to deceive the Indigenous People (IP) minors.

During the ‘Press Conference on Rescued Talaingod IP Children’ today, February 23, 2021 at the Provincial Pavilion, Datu Andigao Agay said that they are careful at what churches they allow to come in their community.

“Kanang mga daan nga simbahan, okay, pero kanang mga bag-ong simbahan wala kay underground ang ilang ginoo (Those traditional churches are okay, but the new churches are not because they have underground gods),” Agay said.

Supporting this, Datu Inaro Federico explained, “Kay nganu man? Gina haylo nila ang mga lumad, among mga parente, nga pastor daw sila, kay naka barong man pud sila, pero dili diay pastor sila, dili diay pari (They are deceiving the Indigenous People, our relatives, by claiming that they are pastors, because they’re also wearing barong, but they aren’t truly pastors, they’re not priests).”

Federico added that this is how the insurgents manage to brainwash the IPs into following them.

In line with this, Datu Sarmiento Lugsi called on his tribe to be careful with NGOs as they target IP minors on purpose.

“Kasagaran ginakuha sa mga NGO kanang mga minor edad na mga bata para di masakpan sa atong goberno. Tanawa karon ang didto gikan sa Cebu diba mag lisod-lisod ta kay menor de edad pa (The NGOs usually target the IP minors so that they don’t get caught by the government. Look at the case in Cebu, we are having difficulties because they are minors),” he explained.

As such, the three Datus showed their gratitude to the government for the rescue of the IP children of Talaingod from Cebu.

As well, Datu Agay said that because of the government’s efforts, there are no more NGOs nor New People’s Army (NPA) that go to Talaingod.

 “Dako’ng pagpasalamat namo sa gobyerno nga nabalik ang among mga kabataan. Limpyo na nga wala nay gubot sa Talaingod. Gani karon nagka hinay-hinay na ug balik ang pagpanginabuhi namo (We are deeply grateful for the government for giving us back our children. Talaingod is now clean and in peace. Now, we are slowly gaining back our livelihood),” Agay added. (Jan Vincent Leuterio/PIA-XI)


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