English - Balay Mindanaw

LUMADNONG PAGKINABUHI NGADTO SA KALINAWillicit affair with a married man. Both of them were Higaunonsand residents of Sitio Mandalawat, Minalwang, Claveria.Datu Kili-kili called the man and the woman and madethem realize the extent of their crime. He asked the man ifhe had no pity on his wife and children. Datu Kili-kili askedthe woman what would she feel had she been married andher husband an affair with another woman. The woman wasasked to leave the place and to offer a manggad to the wife andchildren of her lover.Tumanan and Ladaw caseThe families of Tumanan and Ladaw complained thatthe would-be groom of their daughter backed out in thewedding. The wedding date had been set, they said, and theinvitations were out. Surely, it would put the girl’s family inshame. The man’s family presented no plausible reason forhis action. In addition, the woman complained that therewere advancements made by his boyfriend but she refusedbecause she wanted to keep herself pure until their weddingday. “This is the law in our tribe,” said the girl.After conferring with the datu, the parents of the would-begroom admitted that their son committed a mistake. But theysaid they could not compel him if he did not want to pursuethe marriage. Tatay Malindahay said that this reasoning wasacceptable only if it was an arranged marriage. But in this case,it was the man who courted the girl, and so Tatay Malindahayanalyzed that it was the boy’s fault. The boy’s parents askedfor forgiveness. But Tatay Malindahay told them that thelaws of the government and those of the tribe are different. Ingovernment law, you could be forgiven and you will just signan agreement. But in tribal justice, if you were found guilty,you should be punished.144Tatay Malindahay made them choose whether their son