Philippines: B___laan tribal leader and anti-mining activist killed
Event- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 18, 2012
- Event Description
On 18 October 2012, at 6.30am, Juvy Capion (27 years old) and her two sons Jordan (13 years old) and John (8 years old) were killed in Fayahlob, Barangay Datal Aliong, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur, Mindanao after military members strafed their hut. Her daughter suffered wounds from the gunshots. Juvy was three months pregnant. Based on reports, members of the Philippine Army's 27th Infantry Battalion led by 1Lt. Dante Jimenez trooped towards the scene and allegedly strafed the house of the victims using their automatic rifles. Juvy sustained gunshot wounds at left leg and left upper portion of the chest. Jordan sustained gunshot wounds at his forehead and John was found with gunshot wounds at the right portion of his head. Juvy's daughter Vicky (4 years old) was wounded while a close relative Ressa Piang (11 years old) escaped unhurt but suffered a severe trauma. The military claimed that the victims were caught between crossfire when they pursued their attempt to serve an arrest warrant and capture Daguil Capion, the husband of Juvy, and his supposed companions which allegedly resulted to exchanges of gunshots. Daguil is a staunch critic of mining in their area. Authorities said that Daguil is currently facing multiple murder charges in relation to 2010 ambush of three construction workers of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI). But according to witnesses, no traces of Daguil and companions during the alleged firefight. The victims were the only persons inside the house when the army started to fire gunshots indiscriminately. After the strafing of the house, the soldier allegedly poked their rifles towards the survivors Vicky and Ressa and threatened to kill them too. Juvy almost single-handedly tends a five-hectare land when her husband, Daguil Capion, went into hiding after waging pangayaw or tribal warfare against Sagittarius Mines Inc. which has mining explorations in Tampakan in South Cotabato, Kiblawan and Sultan Kudarat. With fellow B'laan farmers helping her, they planted corn, potato, bananas and yam. Aside from farming, Juvy herself is an active member of Kalgad, a local organization they formed against the aggression by SMI in their areas. Kalgad is a B'laan term loosely translated in Bisaya as "kakugi" or to "perservere". Kalgad represents the B'laan's "kakugi nga pagdepensa sa yutang kabilin' (perseverance to defend ancestral lands).The organization was formed after members of the B'laan community turned down the SMI's offers such as relocation and money. Juvy opposed the presence of SMI because it has caused division among the community and would destroy the B'laan ancestral lands.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Violation
- Killing
- Rights Concerned
- Right to property
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 6.42418
Longitude: 125.47819
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 18 October 2012, at 6.30am, Juvy Capion (27 years old) and her two sons Jordan (13 years old) and John (8 years old) were killed in Fayahlob, Barangay Datal Aliong, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur, Mindanao after military members strafed their hut. Her daughter suffered wounds from the gunshots. Juvy was three months pregnant. Based on reports, members of the Philippine Army's 27th Infantry Battalion led by 1Lt. Dante Jimenez trooped towards the scene and allegedly strafed the house of the victims using their automatic rifles. Juvy sustained gunshot wounds at left leg and left upper portion of the chest. Jordan sustained gunshot wounds at his forehead and John was found with gunshot wounds at the right portion of his head. Juvy's daughter Vicky (4 years old) was wounded while a close relative Ressa Piang (11 years old) escaped unhurt but suffered a severe trauma. The military claimed that the victims were caught between crossfire when they pursued their attempt to serve an arrest warrant and capture Daguil Capion, the husband of Juvy, and his supposed companions which allegedly resulted to exchanges of gunshots. Daguil is a staunch critic of mining in their area. Authorities said that Daguil is currently facing multiple murder charges in relation to 2010 ambush of three construction workers of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI). But according to witnesses, no traces of Daguil and companions during the alleged firefight. The victims were the only persons inside the house when the army started to fire gunshots indiscriminately. After the strafing of the house, the soldier allegedly poked their rifles towards the survivors Vicky and Ressa and threatened to kill them too. Juvy almost single-handedly tends a five-hectare land when her husband, Daguil Capion, went into hiding after waging pangayaw or tribal warfare against Sagittarius Mines Inc. which has mining explorations in Tampakan in South Cotabato, Kiblawan and Sultan Kudarat. With fellow B'laan farmers helping her, they planted corn, potato, bananas and yam. Aside from farming, Juvy herself is an active member of Kalgad, a local organization they formed against the aggression by SMI in their areas. Kalgad is a B'laan term loosely translated in Bisaya as "kakugi" or to "perservere". Kalgad represents the B'laan's __�kakugi nga pagdepensa sa yutang kabilin' (perseverance to defend ancestral lands).The organization was formed after members of the B'laan community turned down the SMI's offers such as relocation and money. Juvy opposed the presence of SMI because it has caused division among the community and would destroy the B'laan ancestral lands.