When people defend their lands, they get killed..... Maclling Dulag suffered the same. He was killed by the military on 24 April 1984 defending his ancestral land by opposing the establishment of the Chico River Dam in the Cordillera, Philippines - a project that affected indigenous people. He remains to be the hero of the Cordillerans, he is my hero... In his words: You ask if we own the land and mock us “where is your title?” When we query the meaning of your words you answer with haunting arrogance “where are the documents to prove that you own the land?”. Title. Documents. Proof. Such arrogance to speak of owning the land when you shall be owned by it. How can you own that which will outlive you? Only the race owns the land because only the race lives forever. To claim a place is the birthright of every man. The lowly animals claim their place, how much more man. Man is born to live. Apu Kabunian, Lord of us all, gave us life and places us in the world to live human lives. And where shall we obtain life? From the land. To work is an obligation, not merely a right. In tilling the land you possess it, and so land is a grace that must be nurtured. To enrich it and make it fructify if the eternal exhortation of Apu Kabunian to all his children. Land is sacred. Land is beloved. From its womb springs out Kalinga life. If the life of a race is threatened, the whole nation will fight to defend the motherland. Your plan means our sure death. To simply accept a decree of death is dishonourable. We oppose. To clarify the meaning of our position, we will fight. We would die, but our death would be honourable. It will be a long and protracted struggle, but in the end the people will prevail, as our ancestors did against the Spanish, the Americans and the Japanese. (Quoted in Mariflor Parpan-Pagusara: the Kalinga Ili)
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 18:36:03 +0000
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