MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Amnesty International says gunmen in the southern Philippines have ambushed a tribal chieftain who was campaigning against mining and destruction of forests and killed his 11-year-old son.
The human rights watchdog says Lucenio Manda was driving his son, Jordan, to school in Zamboanga del Sur province on Tuesday when assailants fired at them. The elder Manda was wounded and said later via text message that his son was sacrificed to protect his people's rights and ancestral domain.
Police said they are investigating.
Amnesty International said Wednesday that Manda led efforts against logging and mining. He filed a court petition to revoke mining permits at the Pinukis Range Forest, among the last untouched forests in the region where companies are digging for gold and silver.
