A year after unjust conviction, Defend Talaingod 13 Network launches sign-on statement; Panaghiusa urges public to stand with IP, advocates

[TAGALOG] Isang taon pagkatapos ng di-makatarungang hatol, inilunsad ng Defend Talaingod 13 Network ang sign-on statement; Panaghiusa nananawagan sa publiko na manindigan para sa mga Katutubo, advocates

In a powerful show of solidarity and resistance, the Defend Talaingod 13 Network launched an online sign-on statement titled “A Year After the Unjust Conviction of the Talaingod 13,” marking the first anniversary of the controversial July 15, 2024 conviction of 13 Indigenous rights defenders, educators, and lawmakers.

Photo from Kodao.

The statement, written in English and Tagalog, now circulating widely across digital platforms, calls on individuals and organizations to publicly denounce the criminalization of humanitarian action and to demand justice for the Talaingod 13—among them former Bayan Muna Representative Ka Satur Ocampo, ACT Teachers Partylist Representative France Castro, eight volunteer teachers from the Salugpungan Lumad School, and three others.

RELATED: Who are the Talaingod 13? And why is there a need to defend them?

“This case is a chilling example of how the law is being used to punish those who stand with Indigenous Peoples,” the statement reads. “Their actions were not crimes—they were acts of courage and compassion.”

The Defend Talaingod 13 Network calls for the reopening of Lumad schools and the restoration of Indigenous children’s right to a culturally relevant and accessible education. The online campaign also urges the Court of Appeals to overturn the unjust conviction and calls on the Department of Education to take meaningful steps toward reinstating Lumad schools. It also demands an end to the broader pattern of criminalizing Indigenous rights defenders, educators, and humanitarian workers.

The Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights emphasized that the online statement is not just a call for legal redress—it is a rallying cry for public action.

“As advocates, we have a responsibility to raise our voices against injustice,” said Rikki Mae Gono, National Coordinator of Panaghiusa. “The conviction of the Talaingod 13 is an attack aimed at silencing those who stand beside Indigenous communities. We remain resolute in our call: Defend the defenders.

Panaghiusa is urging the public—especially educators, students, faith-based groups, and civil society advocates—to sign the statement and take a stand against the ongoing criminalization of the Indigenous Peoples and their allies. The network sees this campaign as part of a broader movement to protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights to ancestral lands, self-determination, and education.

The online sign-on statement is open to the public and has already garnered support from grassroots organizations, church groups, academics, and human rights advocates across the Philippines and abroad. The Defend Talaingod 13 Network and Panaghiusa invite more individuals and institutions to add their names and amplify the call for justice.

Sign the statement now! Defend Talaingod 13! 

Reference:

Rikki Mae Gono

National Coordinator

Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold indigenous Peoples’ Rights