Lumad Emergency Alliance (21st Century Crisis)

The Lumad Emergency Alliance (Filipino: Alyansa Kagipitan ng Lumad) known as the LEA in short, is a militant group operating in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Its current goals, are to provide the native Lumads, the non-Muslim, Christian and Animist natives of Mindanao an armed protection against both Islamic radicals, as well as Roman Catholic pro-government militia groups known as the Ilaga, despite similarities with the latter-mentioned group.

It was found by T'boli and Manobo datus, Fernando Akbay and Joseph Kape, in the wake of the Lumad killings, perpetuated by both Cebuano Catholic militants known as the "Ilaga", and Abu-Sayyaf Islamist militants. The two set up armed cells around the island of Mindanao, as well as contact groups, to carry out operations against cells being operating by the Abu-Sayyaf and the Ilaga.

The LEA has recieved support, from the Southern Nationalist Party and the Lakas CMD, two political parties operating in the southern Philippines that aim to protect and promote southern Philippine culture and nationalism. The LEA also has recieved support and positive outlooks from the Moros, the native Islamic tribes of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, who have provided arms to the LEA.

Due to the LEA appearing as a Roman Catholic militant group, many have mistakenly associated them to be allies of the Ilaga, a Roman Catholic extremist militant group operating in Mindanao. This misconception is also fuled by the similarities in the practices, such as the adopting of Folk Catholicism and use of amulets and talismans alongside conventional weapons of war such as firearms and blades. However, Fernando Akbay has announced that the LEA has no such alliances, and actively and proudly fights against the Ilaga - seeing them as a threat greater or equal to the Abu-Sayyaf.