GABRIELA USA condemns the brutal killing of Indigenous Manobo Tribe leader Bae Milda Ansabo on Aug 23rd in North Cotobato. Bae Milda was a leader in protecting indigenous peoples’ culture and in defending the ancestral land of the Manobo peoples from imperialist plunder and continued illegal logging.
Reports state Bae Milda was shot from behind, her throat slashed, and her eyes were removed. GABRIELA USA demands the protection of indigenous peoples’ lives, rights and land. The perpetrators of Bae Milda’s heinous murder must be identified and prosecuted and we hold Philippine President Duterte ultimately responsible for creating a culture of impunity, especially with his recently passed Anti-Terror Act. We call for justice for Bae Milda, the end of the Anti-Terror Act and the ouster of macho-fascist dictator Duterte!
