Press Release
November 14, 2022

Transcript of Interpellation Senator Risa Hontiveros during the budget deliberation of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)

Senator Risa Hontiveros: Mr. President, Madam Chair, over the past months, I have really been concerned about the spate of abuses that our indigenous peoples are made to suffer. In April 2022, one such case was brought to national attention on account of media reports of gunfire during a visit of then Presidential candidate Leody de Guzman to leaders of the Manobo Pulangiyon indigenous community.

My understanding is that this violence was a direct result of the competing land claims between the Manobo Pulangiyon community and the Kiantig Development Corporation. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, Mr. President, Madam Chair, nag-expire na ang Forest Land Graze Management Agreement ng KDC, Kiantig Development Corp. and there is nothing hindering the issuance of a CADT. In fact, the Manobo Pulangiyon were already promised a CADT in a June meeting.

Ang tanong po - when is the NICP issuing the CADT? Kasi hanggang ngayon po, nandoon pa din sa gilid ng highway ang Manobo Pulangiyon community, mayroon pang mga maliliit na anak silang kasama. And, correct me if I'm worng there is no more legal impediment for the issuance of the same. Madam Chair, Mr. President, I would like an update from the NCIP at the soonest possible time on this matter.

Senator Imee Marcos: Ang problema po is that the pineapple plantation, the Kiantig Development Corporation managed to obtain a TRO against a cease and desist order issued by the NCIP. They are in the process of appealing that TRO and urging that a motion for reconsideration be provided, but as we know, our IPs are always hampered in these legal procedures and the NCIP now states that in addition to the legal effort at the Supreme Court, they will also convene at the earliest possible opportunity the provincial task force, the inter-agency task force together with the provincial leadership to ask Kiantig to implement the DENR ruling that they have absolutely no right to the land any longer kaso ayun nga it's now mired in this whole legal process yun nga kinakawawa yung Manobo Pulangiyon ng todo-todo.

SRH: Maraming salamat, Mr President, Madam Chair kahit sa malungkot na update na iyon so maiiwan na lang po sa ating lahat pero lalo na sa Manobo Pulangiyon mauphold ng Korte Suprema batay sa konstitusyon mismo at naipanganak nitong Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act yun na nga po yung karapatan nila sa isang titulo sa kanilang ancestral domain at sana harinawa mabigyang-daan ang NCIP ay maiissue na po ito. I also take heart doon sa update ng Commission na iko-convene nila yung provincial inter-agency task force dahil balita po ang provincial leadership na pinamumunuan mismo ng ama ng ating Senate President ay sumusuporta po sa Manobo Pulangiyon so iyan talaga ang ating ipinapanalangin.

SIM: Sabihin ko na rin ang ginawa natin sa parte naman ng Senado eh nagmove naman tayo na dagdagan ng P20 million yung bawas sa NCIP para makakuha naman sila ng additional budget para sa mga abogado, consultant tungkol sa ancestral domain, land security and development kasi nga talagang luging lugi naman ang ating mga IPs at naabuso ng todo so kahit papano ay nadagdagan ng P20 million. Maliit na bagay nga lang yun, pero better than nothing na nga dahil mahal din itong mga protesta at claims ng CADT.

SRH: Opo madam Chair, Mr President, nakakalungkot talaga pero mabuti nga't kahit papano ay madagdagan natin ang pagsuporta sa NCIP para masuportahan nila ang kanilang constituents. So, sa huling subject ko po Madam Chair, Mr President tungkol sa NCIP. Mr. President, kung yung una kong tanong ay patungkol sa mga application ng CADT na tila natutulog sa kangkungan at hindi inaaksyunan, may mga nababalitaan naman din na sobrang bilis, at the expense of the other stakeholders in the area. Ang tinutukoy ko ay ang application for CADT na ang diumano'y IP group na ang pangalan ay Tagbanua Tandolanon. Interestingly, their application is being assailed by the Tribung Cuyunon who have been in Palawan and in El Nido since time immemorial. According to a leader of the Cuyunon tribe that we spoke to, may umiikot daw at nagrerecruit sa mga tao na maging Tagbanua Tandolanon at sinasabing magkakapursyento sila sa mga royalties na makukuha sa mga investors sa El Nido.

Ano pong mga imbestigasyon ang ginagawa para i-examine yung katotohonan o kasinungalingan ng mga claims sa ilalim ng Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act, partikular sa mga kaso na may conflicting claims? At paano natin natitiyak na ang mga IPs ay hindi ginagamit o yung mga advocacy nila ay hindi ginagamit para sa mga pansariling interes?

SIM: Tama po yun, yung issue ng Tribung Cuyunon sa Palawan ay talagang naging mainit dahil nga may isang report nagsasabi na kine-claim daw ung buong isla ng Palawan may isa pang grupo na nagsasabi na makakadali raw ng 2% sa 100 B na malampaya gas project ay nakakasindak nga yung ganon. Kaya nagkainteres tuloy itong iba't ibang IP na sinasabing peke yung Tagbanua at yung tama ay Cuyunon. Ngayon ang NCIP, ang sabi, kinakailangan na yung Tribung Cuyunon ay magsumite ng supporting documents kasi yung Malampaya na binibida ng ibang grupo ay napakalayo naman sa Cuyo Island na sadyang ancestral domain ng Tribung Cuyunon. Pera-pera na kasi ang pinag-usapan naging marami nang claimant.

SRH: Oo nga po at dahil nabanggit na rin ni Madam Chair yung usapin ng Malampaya ay bukod sa panakalayo doon sa pinag-aagawan ngayon na claimed area ay napakalaki pa, mas malaki pa actually yung kine-claim In fact, the report that has reached me is that the CADT they by they, I mean yung Tagbanua Tandolanon, was for was for 150,000 hectares, then increased to 250,000 has. For reference, ang land area ng El Nido's land area ay 90,000 hectares. At kung lalawak na 250,000 has., aabutin talaga sa ang Malampaya Natural Gas Platform. Itatanong ko po sana kay Madam Chair, can this be confirmed? Eh mukhang tama po ba kinoconfirm nga kasi I would be very concerned over also the national security and energy implications of this development.

SIM: Yes that is correct that's why it's become very controversial, and the NCIP itself is very concerned about these inordinate claims and given that they are becoming the come as it were to all other IPs to join their cause.

SRH: Thank you. still on this case, I have also heard that a Cease and Desist Order was issued already, prohibiting further development in El Nido, but also potentially itong misrepresentation ng Tagbanua Tandulanon yung cease and desist order potentially may epektong halting operations in El Nido's only airport, despite the prior existence of valid Certificates of No Overlap. And this apparently, is what prompted the Cuyonon residents of Villa Libertad to sign a petition opposing the application for CADT of the Tagbanua Tandulanon. Considering the massive implications on their livelihood and on their own land claims, nabigyan po ba sila na mabigyan ng tiyansa na makilahok sa mga proseso? Napayagan ba silang i-inspect ay pag-aralan ang mga dokumento na sinubmit naman ng mga nagsasabing sila raw ay Tagbanua Tandolanon, or parang makapaghain ng counter-evidence as to genealogy?

SIM: Yes it should be noted that the NCIP has issued another cease and desist order against these claims and against the tenants of Ayala that have occupied the area that is the status in the meantime, NCIP is urging the tribong Cuyunon to submit as many documents as they have so this is where we are there is now an enforced cease and desist order to tenants Philippines in El Nido to temporary stop the operation on the selling of plant, advertisement and development of infrastructure. This was issued in August and an order for eventual segregation has been sent.

Muli yung NCIP talagang nananawagan na bigyan sila ng kaunting budget para tulungan nila yung ating mga IPs na kapos talaga sa legal representation at iba pang kinakailangan para labanan yung malalaking developer.

SRH: Hopefully kasabay nung pagwelcome sa submission ng Tribung Cuyunon ng mga dokumento nila ay bibigyang-daan ng NCIP yung partisipasyon or patuloy na partisipasyon nila sa mga prosesong ito pag-inspect at pag-aral din sa mga dokumentong sinuspinde ng diumanong Tagbanua Tandulanon

SIM: Tama po, kaya nag-issue ng ikalawang cease and desist na para matigil na muna, at imbestigahan alamin lahat ng katibayan at dokumento.

SRH: And for my last question - a brief one. Kinocondone po ba ng NCIP yung paggamit ng grave threats, saka intimidation na gumagamit pa ng armas ng mga aplikante ng CADT and CALT? Dinulog po kasi ito mula sa Barangay Corong Corong, El Nido din, kung saan ang isang applicant ng CALT ay gumagamit ng karahasan para mapaalis ang ilang residente sa lugar. Balita pa po namin na ang bakawan kung saan siya ay nabigyan ng CALT ay tinambakan at ginawang resort. Hindi ba taliwas sa kulturang katutubo ang paninira ng bakawan?

SIM: Klarong violation yan on many fronts hindi lang ng ancestral domain kundi ng DENR bawal na bawal na sirain ang bakawan o ating mangrove. Kaya eto kinakailangan kung may detalye po tayo bigay natin agad sa NCIP sa lalong madaling panahon ay imbestigahan na nila.

SRH: Maraming salamat sasabihin po ng, this representation, sa mga nagsumbong po nitong kaso pati doon sa usapin ng panggamit ng grave threats and intimidation gamit pang armas laban pa sa kanila.

Mr. President, Madam Chair, please allow me to end with a brief manifestation regarding our NCIP budget. What I am seeing here, Madame Sponsor, is a pattern in which NCIP so their various interpretations seem to support applications of CADT and CALT for financial interests of the applicants so in some cases - golden ticket na pala ang ancestral domain titles sa mga high-profile tourism areas like Palawan - but in some cases, disregards it for just and rightful claims, like in the case of the Manobo Pulangiyon. Bagamat sinabi na rin ni Madam Chair na may mga hakbang na ginagawa ng NCIP para dito and I am very disturbed because this would seem to be not just a circumvention, but a travesty against the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act.

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