Bae Bibiyaon Ligkayan Bigkay, the only female tribal
chieftain in Mindanao, proved her mettle by dressing down North Cotabato
Congresswoman Nancy Catamco for the latter's act of further exposing the indigenous Manobos to militarization and human rights violations. The Manobos fled their
village and sought refuge in Davao City because of military and paramilitary Alamara's presence. They were subjected to daily harassment and had to parry accusations
of being members of the revolutionary group New People's Army.
For media mileage and political points, this
cerebrally-unendowed pathetic excuse for a Congresswoman named Nancy Catamco
brought the police to Davao City to aid her in forcing the Manobos to return to
their village. The trespass into the sanctuary provided by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) was definitely brutal. Scores were hurt.
Using Orwellian parlance, Catamco announced that she was rescuing the more or less 700 Manobos from their place of refuge (Figure out that one yourself.) She acted with condescension while professing to be indigenous herself. When the people- whose culture looks up to sincerity more than power- expressed incredulity when she gave a litany of promises, she raised her voice at them and called them stinky. And this is the shocker: She chairs the House of Representatives committee on indigenous peoples.
Undaunted by the indigenous people's rejection of her "assistance," Rep. Catamco returned to them and tried to give the same old, poisonous wine in the same old poisonous, bottle. She engaged in a virtual monologue which was essentially double talk.
Using Orwellian parlance, Catamco announced that she was rescuing the more or less 700 Manobos from their place of refuge (Figure out that one yourself.) She acted with condescension while professing to be indigenous herself. When the people- whose culture looks up to sincerity more than power- expressed incredulity when she gave a litany of promises, she raised her voice at them and called them stinky. And this is the shocker: She chairs the House of Representatives committee on indigenous peoples.
Undaunted by the indigenous people's rejection of her "assistance," Rep. Catamco returned to them and tried to give the same old, poisonous wine in the same old poisonous, bottle. She engaged in a virtual monologue which was essentially double talk.
Then an old woman spoke. She had no
script. She had sheer courage and the issues of her people. Her rhetoric was shorn of euphemisms and subservient tone. She was defiant. For five minutes, she gave a loud voice to sufferings that demand to be heard. Each time Rep. Catamco tried to interrupt, she would say, "Shut up! Listen!" That is what representatives should do more than talk: Listen to their principals, the people they claim to represent in the august body called Congress.
All of us who articulate indigenous concerns cannot
measure up to the courage and eloquence of Bae Bibiyaon Likgayan Bigkay. Step aside and forget your
ambitions to go to Congress to represent IPs. She's The One!
Let us demystify that body called House of
Representatives. To it, let us elect people who walk the streets, not people
who walk on clouds. Let us send issues, not ambition. Let us send solutions,
not problems. Let us send true-to-life stories, not fairy tales. Let us send
hearts, not money. Let us send selflessness, not greed. Let us send human
beings, not gods and goddesses.
Let us send this woman.
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