The List, Part 7: Chandu and Alyce Claver

When someone texted me that Chandu and Alyce Claver were ambushed, I took time out from my busy day to pray for them. I’m not a prayerful person and I don’t personally know the victims but if you come from the Cordilleras ( Kalinga and Mt. Province in particular) you would know that the Claver name is a good family name and it would not be hard to feel for the family when any of them is in danger.

Sure enough, people banded together to support the Clavers. Doctors in Tabuk closed their clinics for a day to protest the ambush. People signed statements condemning the killers and circulated these statements online for those who can’t sign in person. Different organizations chimed in, UN Indigenous Chair Vicky-Tauli Corpuz spoke out, Igorot communities abroad expressed alarm, and about 7,000 people turned up for Alyce’s funeral.

What does this outpouring of support tell us? That the Clavers have served the Cordilleras and its people well. And Cordillerans, not surprisingly, have recognized that service and have responded in sympathy and support.

Note: Online petition condemning the murder of Alyce and the attempted murder of Chandu can be found here. You might also want to sign a statement calling for an end to extra-judicial killings here. If you still havent heard about the Claver ambush, you can find a fact sheet prepared by the Cordillera Peoples Alliance here. Sunstar also has an update here.

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