Provincial police officials said they had suspended operations to locate the militia leader to give tribal leaders time to subject him to the traditional justice system. Goaynon said the tribal leaders and local government officials had failed to convince him to surrender and hand over his guns. “Salusad went on and in just a few minutes indiscriminately fired at the community,” RMP said. “They (tribal leaders) did not even act on those killings. Danielo Bellezas, chief of police community relations office in Bukidnon, said the lumad leaders had asked authorities to stand down to avoid more bloodshed.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 06, 2016 20:26 UTC