Kitab Article VIII Sections 3 and 4 Rituals and Justice

Article VIII. Tribal Justice System

Section 3. Rituals
The ritual (Suguy-Suguy)–The highest level of communication with God, this is performed during gatherings of Dulangan Manobos. Forgiveness is asked from the owner of water, nature, forest, cave and river, and the spirits of ancestors are invoked. We the Dulangan Manobos believe that the spirits of our ancestors are always around guiding the tribe.
(1) Langa–On his way to the forest, a person asks God for help to have a successful hunt or catch as well as planting.
(2) Datah–A piece of the catch should be left for nature so that the next hunt and catch will be successful again.
(3) Dongow–If a person is lost in the forest, the dongow is performed by laying across a tree. This is an indication whether the person is still alive or already dead. [I’m not sure of my translation of this part.—Blogger]
(4) Batiya–A chant of the tribe to ward off danger

Section 4. Justice and Justice System
The practices of the Dulangan Manobo in implementing their laws are inherited from their ancestors. The datus seek the help of the Ulu-Ulu or Pig-ulukan Datu to resolve the problems in the community. Process:
(1) The suspect is judged by the datus. A metal is put on fire and when it is hot, the suspect is made to hold it. If his hand is not burned, it means that the accusation against him is not true.
(2) The datu proclaims [or determines?] the guilt of the suspect.
(3) If there is a suspect, pour water on a towel. If the water does not drip, it means that he is not guilty. The accuser shall give one horse as a penalty for the accused has been put in shame in front of people and his dignity has been marred.
(4) A transgression should be subjected to the law and be judged so that the problem will not get worse.
(5) A person who committed a crime should be apprehended and brought before the chieftain-judges.
(6) Payment should be made for the crime to appease the person on the side of truth.
(7) Datus should judge and impose penalties for both petty and serious crimes so that the wrongful act is remitted.
(8) The perpetrator and the party on the side of justice should exchange an oath by breaking a rattan in two as a symbol of reconciliation.

(This post is a part of a series on Kitab, the customary law of the Dulangan Manobos. See my introductory post for the list of posts containing all the sections of the law. You may also see the original Filipino version on Scribd.)