Today, various groups launched the Defend Talaingod 13 Alliance, calling for the immediate dismissal of fabricated child abuse charges against the so-called Talaingod 13. This campaign, supported by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), highlights the ongoing struggle for ancestral land rights and the importance of defending territory in the Pantaron Mountain Range for the survival of Lumad communities.

The Pantaron Mountain Range in Mindanao is one of the Philippines’ largest remaining old-growth forests, spanning 12,600 square kilometers across Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Norte, and Agusan del Sur. This vital ecological area comprises 1.8 million hectares of virgin forest that supply water to major rivers, support immense biodiversity, and connect significant breeding sites for the endangered Philippine eagle at Mount Kitanglad and Mount Apo.

The KMP identified Alcantara & Sons (Alsons) as the largest land and resource grabber in Davao del Norte, with patriarch Conrado Alcantara being a close associate of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Marcos granted Alsons a Timber License Agreement (TLA), enabling logging operations across thousands of hectares in Davao del Norte. Alsons exported timber to China, the U.S., and Europe.

Through favors from Malacañang, Alcantara’s Iligan Cement expanded during the 1980s amid economic crisis and intense competition in the cement industry. Now known as Alsons Cement Corporation, it is a primary partner of Ramon Ang’s Holcim Philippines.

After the 1986 EDSA uprising, Paul Dominguez, Conrado Alcantara’s son-in-law, became an influential cabinet member in the Aquino administration. The TLA expired in 1989 and was replaced with an Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) by the Cory Aquino regime, granting Alsons approximately 45,000 hectares, which encompassed nearly all of Talaingod, including 19,000 hectares of Ata-Manobo ancestral lands. Alsons also secured a ₱350-million loan from the Asian Development Bank, diversifying into mining and agribusiness.

The Ata-Manobos have resisted Alsons’ land grabbing. Amid rising militarization and encroachment by logging and dam companies, indigenous leaders launched a “pangayaw” (tribal war) to protect their ancestral lands. Lumad communities established the Salugpungan Ta’tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center Inc. (STTICLCI) in Palma Gil, Talaingod, serving the Manobo tribe.

Since 1997, militarization has forced indigenous leaders into hiding due to government threats. Nevertheless, the Salugpungan continues to unite Lumad communities and rally support for their rights. Under Rodrigo Duterte, plans were made to construct a ₱9 billion ($200 million) mining highway across the Pantaron Range. The area has faced numerous intrusions, evictions, and human rights violations by mining and logging companies since 1991.

In response to these threats, Lumad communities have fought back by establishing schools to empower their youth. However, these institutions have come under military scrutiny, with government officials threatening to bomb Lumad schools, labeling them as subversive. This wave of terror led to the closure of 56 Lumad schools across the island, depriving over 2,000 Lumad students of their right to education.

“We demand the dismissal of the trumped-up child abuse cases against the Talaingod 13. We call for an end to the attacks on Lumad communities and the abolition of all state policies and entities that violate the ancestral land rights of the Lumad people,” Ramos concluded. #