By DOMINIC GUTOMAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – From forced eviction to threats, intimidation, and escalating violence— Molbog and Palaw’an indigenous people from Bugsuk, Palawan fled to Manila to report the human rights violations they are being subjected to, saying that San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is behind it.
Philippine Misereor Partnership Incorporated, a vast network of advocates, said that community members have reported “alarming incidents, including threats at gunpoint to force them out of their ancestral lands and intrusive surveillance and intimidation that profoundly disrupt their daily lives and livelihoods” since June 29.
Around 10,821 hectares of land in Barangay Bugsuk and Pandanan were reportedly removed from the agrarian reform program of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). On June 27, 2024, DAR staff informed local residents of the impending demolition of their homes to make way for a large-scale eco-luxury tourism project spanning more than 5,500 hectares known as the “Bugsuk Island Resort.”
The Environmental Impact Summary (EIS) uploaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) this year reveals that the proposed project is scheduled to finish in 2038.
The same government report states that the Municipality of Balabac’s Office of Sangguniang Bayan endorsed a resolution in support of the eco-tourism project, recommending the issuance of a Strategic Environment Plan (SEP) Clearance and an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) by the DENR.
“Despite their urgent calls for the removal of security forces from their area, the lack of action of the local government and the local police has only intensified their sense of insecurity,” said PMPI.
Community members, accompanied by the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA), submitted sworn testimonies to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on September 9 to 10, to prompt investigation on the matter.
In a press conference, Sept. 24, resident Tarhata Pelayo said that drones are being used by armed men who are known in their community to be affiliated with SMC to watch them every night. “They harass us. We cannot even sleep because we were worried about what they are going to do with us,” said Pelayo in Filipino.
Thirty of 158 families on Mariahangin Island have opted to receive the payment and leave the island due to the relentless intimidation reported by community members. Indigenous and non-indigenous families have been thriving on the island through seaweed farming, fishing, and planting root crops.
Since 1974, the communities of Bugsuk, including the Palaw’an, Molbog, and Cagayanin indigenous groups, have been continually marginalized by business interests. Sambilog – Balik Bugsuk Movement, a coalition of support groups and community leaders, said that the ongoing violence is a matter of transitional justice: “restoring land that was unjustly seized during a time of dictatorship and oligarchic control.”
Fifty years ago, the indigenous peoples were driven away from the 10,821 hectare of ancestral land on Bugsuk Island in favor of Danding Cojuangco’s business interests, where he set up a nursery for hybrid coconut trees. Their displacement has been ongoing for decades, depriving them of their home and livelihood.
“We call on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to correct this injustice by reversing the decision of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III to lift the land from Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) coverage and to expedite its distribution to the rightful claimants. The land must be returned to victims of eviction and other claimants who have been denied their rights for far too long,” said Sambilog in a statement.
They also called on the government to immediately issue the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), covering 56,000 hectares of land and waters in Balabac. These titles were granted to indigenous communities or individuals as proof of their ownership, which ideally should ensure legal protection against land-grabbing.
“The CADT is not just a legal document but a recognition of the centuries-old connection of these IPs to their ancestral domain, as protected under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA),” Sambilog added.
A supporter of Sambilog – Balik Bugsuk Movement initiated a petition, which now has more than 1000 signatories, to appeal to the government to: [1] immediately reverse the DAR’s decision and reinstate the 10,821 hectare area under the agrarian reform program; [2] facilitate the return of displaced farmers and their heirs through transitional justice mechanisms to rebuild their lives; [3] suspend all ongoing development projects by SMC until proper consultations and agreements are made; and [4] launch a thorough and impartial investigation into the human rights violations.
DAR issued a Notice of Coverage to the lands of the IPs in 2014 by virtue of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER). Years passed but the IPs were not able to reclaim their land, according to the report of global non-profit organization Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI). In 2013, the DAR cancelled the Notice of Coverage because allegedly, it is “not suitable for agricultural activities.”
One of their legal counsels, Christian Monsod, said that the decision to remove the lands from agrarian reform coverage is a betrayal of people’s rights. “We demand its reversal and the speedy distribution of the land to its rightful owners.”
In a similar case, the Molbog indigenous people also applied for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) in 2000 but it has not been acted upon by the government.
“This fight is about correcting a grave injustice. For decades, we have been waiting to return to our land. We ask our fellow Filipinos to stand with us in this historic fight for justice,” said Romillano Calo, Chairperson of Sambilog. (RTS, RVO, JJE)
