Lumad youth leader calls out de Lima over photo use in IP Day post

TALAINGOD, DAVAO DEL NORTE—Rurelyn Bay-ao, a former youth leader from the Lumad women group Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women, has publicly rebuked Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima after the latter used a photo of Bay-ao and two other Lumad women in a social media card commemorating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

In a comment in de Lima’s post, Bay‑ao wrote:

“Ma’am Leila de Lima, as lawyer, siguro naman po alam ninyo na hindi mabuti na gumamit lang basta‑basta ng mga picture ng tao. I am asking po, on behalf ng dalawa kong kasama, na tanggalin lang yung picture namin. Okay lang po na nakikiisa kayo sa aming mga IP, right ‘yo po yan. Pero hindi po kasi maganda na gamitin ang pictures ng tatlong babaeng Lumad na naging biktima ng pagsasamantala ng mga kaalyado n’yo sa Kongreso ngayon. Salamat po!”

This led to de Lima amending her post, replacing the version featuring their faces with an alternative card that no longer shows Bay‑ao and her companions.

SPOT THE DIFFRENCE. Rep. Leila de Lima’s August 10 Facebook post (left), which was called out by Rurelyn Bay-ao, was replaced four days later with a card (right) that no longer featured the faces of Bay-ao and two other Lumad women.

Bay‑ao is notably a former youth leader of Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women, a grassroots organization established in 2003 composed of women from eight ethnolinguistic tribes across Southern Mindanao. 

Sabokahan has also figured in controversy over allegations of links to the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP). Former members and security officials have claimed that the group was established under the guidance of CPP cadres as part of its so-called “white area” operations in Mindanao and within its international networks. 

In several Senate hearings, Sabokahan and other “activist” organizations and institutions were revealed to have been tasked to advance the Party’s political line, facilitate recruitment in underground organizations, and generate support for the armed struggle by exploiting Lumad issues. 

In the same comment on de Lima’s post, Bay-ao pointed out that “hindi po kasi maganda na gamitin ang pictures ng tatlong babaeng Lumad na naging biktima ng pagsasamantala ng mga kaalyado n’yo sa Kongreso ngayon.” [It’s not right to use the pictures of three Lumad women who have been victims of exploitation by your allies in Congress today.]

In an interview with Kontra-Kwento, Bay-ao clarified that she was referring to the exploitation of her tribe in Talaingod, Davao del Norte by organizations allied with Rep. de Lima, particularly in connection with the issue of so-called “red-tagging.”

Rep. de Lima has been an active proponent of legislation to criminalize red-tagging. She filed House Bill No. 1841, which defines and penalizes the practice of labeling activists as communists or terrorists without evidence, and authored House Bill No. 1431, or the Human Rights Defenders Protection Act, which seeks to protect human rights defenders from harassment, threats, and violence in the course of their work.

Since her surrender in 2021, Bay-ao has actively exposed the links between the CPP-NPA-NDFP and aboveground organizations such as Sabokahan, along with its allied groups Save Our Schools Network and Liyang Network. As a former leader of these organizations, she added a pointed clarification on the matter of red‑tagging, saying:

“Sa totoo lang, hindi naman red‑tagging ang ginagawa [ko]. It’s a right that I have in order to warn youth like me na hindi magpaloko sa mga organizations na alam ko mga itinayo ng Partido to help the armed revolution of the NPA.”

Her statement reflects the contentious issue of whether she, as a publicly known former member of Sabokahan, can in fact be held liable for red-tagging. Bay-ao rejects the label "red-tagging" and affirms her right to criticize organizations she believes are influencing the youth toward joining the NPA’s armed revolution.