Emerito Samarca (or Emerico Samarte) was the director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV), a self-initiated school for the Lumad indigenous people. He was killed on 1 Sep 2015, allegedly by paramilitary forces, which NGOs allege are sponsored by mining companies, trying to protect their investments in Mindanao – i.e. link to mining companies - Philex, Nickel Asia, Red 5 Limited - is general, not to this specific killing. The allegation is against their support for and benefiting from paramilitaries in Mindanao, which have in turn allegedly killed a number of indigenous rights defenders, so the link is made to militarization of indigenous areas in general and the companies profiting from it. He was a known environmental defenders openly opposed to mining. While not necessarily alleged to be connected to killings, Philex, Nickel Asia, Red 5 Limited are allegedly companies that are supporting and are benefiting the most from paramilitaries in Mindanao, which have in turn allegedly killed a number of indigenous rights defenders. “The recent killings in a Lumad school in the town of Lianga, Surigao del Sur, is part and parcel of the Aquino government’s Oplan Bayanihan inextricably linked to mining and other big business interests in the region. The Andap Valley Complex, in which Lianga, is situated is known to be one of the biggest coal reserves in the country, and the killing rampage that forced more than 3,000 Lumads to evacuate to the city center seems motivated to protect these investments,” according to local civil society.