Leaders representing the Indigenous communities in Talaingod, Davao del Norte have formally declared their support for a recent appellate court decision that confirmed the guilty verdict against a group of activists and educators.
Indigenous Council Rejects 'Talaingod 13' Label
In a public statement, the Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) of Talaingod, the recognized governing body of the Ata-Manobo people, praised the Court of Appeals for affirming the 2024 ruling of the Tagum City Regional Trial Court Branch 2. The court found the group guilty of violating the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act (Republic Act No. 7610).
The statement was presented by Talaingod Ancestral Domain Management Officer Datu Allan Causing during the Kapihan sa DavNor program on PTV DavNor 48 on December 26, 2025. The IPS strongly objected to the use of the term "Talaingod 13," clarifying that none of the convicted individuals are residents of Talaingod nor do they represent the Indigenous community.
"The Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) of Talaingod wants to make it clear that these criminals are not on a rescue mission as they want the public to believe but are criminals who violated the law of the Philippine Government and our own Customary Law," the council stated.
Case Background and Court Findings
The legal case stems from a National Solidarity and Fact-Finding Mission in Talaingod on November 28, 2018. The mission, which included former Bayan Muna Representative Saturnino 'Ka Satur' Ocampo and incumbent ACT Teachers Partylist Representative France Castro, aimed to assist Lumad students and teachers facing reported threats.
However, in July 2024, the trial court convicted them for allegedly endangering minors by transporting them through hazardous conditions. The Court of Appeals in December 2025 upheld the verdict, finding no reversible error. The convictions carry prison sentences ranging from approximately four years and nine months to six years and eight months, plus orders to pay damages to the minors involved.
Divergent Reactions and Assertion of Indigenous Rights
The IPS emphasized its authority under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA, Republic Act No. 8371) to exercise self-governance. "Let us speak for ourselves and our rights," the statement asserted, criticizing external narratives it deemed misleading.
The council also acknowledged the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) for its peace and child protection efforts. This stance contrasts sharply with that of human rights groups, which condemn the convictions as a miscarriage of justice that criminalizes humanitarian work and Indigenous solidarity.
While rights defenders argue the mission was supported by Lumad parents, the courts and Talaingod's Indigenous leaders maintain the primary issue was the endangerment of children, firmly placing child welfare and the rule of law at the center of the controversy.
