NDF hails tribal people’s attacks on Mindanao mine facilities
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—The National Democratic Front on Saturday defended the attacks mounted by armed B’laan natives on facilities of Xstrata’s Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI), and of firms associated with the mining company in the hinterlands of Davao del Sur, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. In a statement, the NDF Southern Mindanao said these attacks, including Thursday’s ambush by the group led by the Capion brothers Dagil, Batas and Kitari, were justified as they were in defense of their ancestral domain. Retired police officer Superintendent Villamindo Hectin, an SMI security consultant, and Police Officer 2 Rey Tonzo of the Davao del Sur police office were killed in Thursday’s ambush in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur. The NDF said the B’laan natives were standing up against SMI, whose large-scale mining project threatened their ancestral domain. The NDF said that based on what the Capion brothers told its officials, the attacks were part of a “pangayaw” or the n