MT FIRIS IS SACRED GROUND

A UNIFIED STATEMENT OF
NON-ISLAMIZED INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE ARMM

We, the Indigenous Peoples of the ARMM, particularly the Téduray, Lambangian and
Dulangan Manobo, who are directly affected by the recurring cycles of violence in the
Mt Firis Complex call upon one and all to hear our plea;

 -That the recent armed conflict between the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters and the Armed Forces of the Philippines as we all know has done
indescribable harm not only upon each other but most especially to the peace-
loving non-Islamized Indigenous Peoples of the Mt Firis Complex;

-That this is not the only violent incident in recent history that has marred the
land of our ancestors;

-That the suffering brought about by displacements is another blow to the efforts
of many people including the government to attain peace, genuine reform and
development;

-That we are grateful for the government and other kindhearted sectors that
have provided relief assistance to displaced persons;

-But the situation is more complex than just being addressed in a temporary
manner like the provision of food, medicines and shelter.

In the face of all this, let it also be known to one and all that since time immemorial,
Indigenous Peoples like the Tédurays, Lambangian, and Dulangan Manobo have lived
peacefully in the mountains of the Daguma Range where Mt Firis is located. Mt Firis
holds among these peoples a revered history that has been handed down the
generations through oral tradition;

-That this is where Lagey Firis practiced his tribal spiritual leadership;

-That Lagey Firis ascended onto heaven without dying (demniyat) from an exact
spot known as Batew;

-That Gogon Ignacio was the last Chieftain at Batew afoot Mt Firis, the sacred
ground of the Teduray and Lambangian;

-That since then, we, the non-Islamized Indigenous Peoples regularly visited the
place for pilgrimage and spiritual nourishment.

But on the evening of July 27, 2000, many of us had to leave Mt Firis after armed men
claimed the land to establish their camp. Shortly after, several municipalities were
carved out from its surrounding land; and many non-IPs have titled portions of the
land under their names.

We have become strangers in our own land and we have been victims to countless and
recurring conflicts since then.

For us indigenous peoples, land is life. We cannot be separated from the land because
it is what gives us life. It is our source of food and medicine, our home, burial
grounds, recreation and our place of worship. To systematically remove us from our
land is tantamount to annihilating our identity.

We earnestly call on the government to exercise its democratic mandate to protect its
people. We’d like to think that you consider us Tédurays, Lambangians and Dulangan
Manobos to be one of your people.

Mt Firis is Sacred Ground.

Signed this 17th day of August 2012, Maguindanao, Philippines

Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG)

Lumad Development Center Inc (LDCI)

Teduray, Lambangian Youth and Student Association (TLYSA)

Mamalo Descendants Organization (MDO)

Teduray, Lambangian and Dulangan Manobo Ancestral Domain Claim (TLADMADC)

Organization of Teduray Lambangian Conference (OTLAC)

Teduray Lambangian Women’s Organization Inc (TLWOI)

Kena Menuwa (Dulangan Manobo Governance)

Mindanao People’s Peace Movement Katawhang Lumad (MPPM-KL)

IPDEV supports all initiatives geared toward the Recognition and Protection of the Rights of the
Indigenous Peoples in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for their Empowerment and
Sustainable Development

from: IPDEV IPDEV ipdev.ipdev@yahoo.com.ph