Groups to demand reversal of Talaingod 13 conviction on 2nd anniversary

Indigenous advocates and legal professionals, including (from left) Atty. Glocelito Jayma of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao, Sr. Concepcion Gasang of Save Our Schools Network–Mindanao, former DSWD Undersecretary Mae Fe Templa-Ancheta, Moro youth leader Nurainie Rakim, and former Rep. Eufemia Cullamat, vow to press for the reversal of the Talaingod 13’s conviction. Photo courtesy of Save Our Schools Network.

QUEZON CITY — A group of clergy, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Moro leaders, church workers, educators, and human rights advocates is set to gather at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman on Wednesday, July 15, to demand the reversal of the “Talaingod 13” conviction.

Marking the second anniversary of the court decision, the “Katungod Conference 2026: Justice for the Talaingod 13 and the State of Mindanao” will be held at the Malcolm Theater of the UP College of Law.

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The host, the UP Institute of Human Rights-College of Law (UP-IHR), maintains that the 13 individuals did not commit a crime, noting they were part of a humanitarian and solidarity mission intended to protect Lumad children and families displaced by conflict and militarization.

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The charges, which advocates describe as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), were filed during the Duterte administration and culminated in a conviction under the Marcos Jr. administration.

READ: Lumad leader defends Talaingod 13: Not a crime to protect children

READ: ‘Talaingod 13’ files notice of conviction appeal

“This case is not merely a miscarriage of justice against 13 individuals—it is a symbol of how the justice system can be weaponized against those who accompany, organize, educate, and defend vulnerable communities,” Fr. Raymund Ambray, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Tandag and convenor of the Save Our Schools Network, told the Inquirer.

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The Talaingod 13 includes former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, former ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, and Lumad school teachers who were convicted by a Tagum court of child abuse in 2024 for efforts to rescue victims of an alleged forced evacuation after the closure of a Lumad school in Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte, in 2018.

During the conference, groups will present the “People’s State of Mindanao” assessment. The report will highlight that the conditions that led to the case, including the closure of more than 200 Lumad schools, alleged development aggression in ancestral domains, and the red-tagging of tribal communities, remain deeply entrenched.

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“The struggle of the Talaingod 13 is not separate from the struggles of the marginalized peoples of Mindanao. Patrimony should benefit the majority, not the few elitist corporations and oligarchs,” Carlos Zarate, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers vice president for Mindanao, told the Inquirer on Tuesday.

The gathering aims to call on the courts and government institutions to uphold the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997 and end the judicial harassment of humanitarian workers and environmental defenders.

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“Justice for the Talaingod 13 is inseparable from the struggle for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, Indigenous education, democratic freedoms, and human rights,” Bayang Barrios of the Mindanao Climate Justice Resource Facility Inc. told the Inquirer. /mcm