Press Release
November 9, 2022

Robin Pushes Probe: Did Forced Relocation to Landslide-Prone Area Doom Members of Mindanao's Teduray Tribe?

An investigation is in order to look into the deaths of at least 24 members of the Teduray tribe following landslides brought about by Tropical Cyclone Paeng. Reports indicated the Teduray tribe was forcibly relocated from Datu Odin Sinsuat town to a landslide-prone area at the foot of Mt. Minandar in Maguindanao del Norte.

Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla filed Senate Resolution 280, to get to the bottom of the deaths of 24 members of the tribe and the injury to 30 others - and why the Teduray tribe's right to their ancestral domain was not upheld.

Padilla also wants to know who was remiss in their mandate to ensure the rights of tribes to remain in their ancestral land - whether it was the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) or the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs in BARMM.

Earlier reports quoted Chieftain Timuay Alim Bandara of the Tribal Indigenous Group Community Teduray as saying the tribal community was forced out of their coastal homes to Sitio Tabunon, Barangay Kusiong, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte in 2020 despite their protests. The reports said such forced relocation was allegedly caused by a "powerful person" who wanted to convert the place into a resort.

Padilla pushed for the probe to be handled by the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs which he chairs.

"The right to stay in the territory and not to be removed therefrom is a guaranteed right pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act. Where relocation is considered necessary as an exceptional measure, such relocation shall take place only with free and prior informed consent of the concerned Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs), and whenever possible, they shall be guaranteed the right to return to their ancestral domains, as soon as the grounds cease to exist," Padilla said.

In his resolution, Padilla noted the area where the tribe was relocated at the foot of Mt. Minandar was "prone to landslide."

He also cited reports that 127 of 300 families affected by the supposedly forced relocation in December 2020 had petitioned the NCIP and protested their transfer, but the agency did not respond.

Because of this, Padilla stressed the need to find out if the Teduray tribe's constitutional rights were violated.

"In view of the foregoing, there is a need to examine and review the IPRA as well as the mandate of the NCIP of protecting the rights and welfare of the IPs, with the end in view of amending the provisions of the IPRA," he said.


Robin, Iimbestigahan ang Kamatayan ng Katutubong Teduray Dahil sa Sapilitang Paglipat

Dapat imbestigahan ang kamatayan ng hindi bababa sa 24 miyembro ng tribong Teduray dahil sa pagguho ng lupa dulot ng Bagyong Paeng. Ayon sa ulat, ang mga Teduray ay sapilitang inilipat sa paanan ng bundok Minandar sa Maguindanao del Norte mula sa baybayin ng Municipality ng Datu Odin Sinsuat.

Sa Senate Resolution 280, iginiit ni Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla na dapat malaman ang katotohanan sa likod ng ulat na nasawi ang 24 at nasaktan ang higit 30 myembro ng tribo na na-relocate sa paanan ng Mt. Minandar at kung bakit hindi na protektahan ang nga Teduray sa karapatan nila sa kanilang ninunong lupain (ancestral domain).

Nais din malaman ni Padilla kung sino ang may kapabayaan ang National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) o Ministry of Indigenous People Affairs ng Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) sa pagtiyak sa karapatan ng tribo na manatili sa kanilang ninunong lupain.

Ayon sa isang ulat: "Chieftain Timuay Alim Bandara of Tribal Indigenous Group Community Teduray said that the tribal community was forced out of their coastal homes to Sitio Tabunon, Barangay Kusiong, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte in 2020 despite their protests. Such forced relocation was allegedly caused by a 'powerful person' who wanted to convert the place into a resort. He further belied the reports stating that the tribe relocated to Sitio Tabunon because of fear of the tsunami."

Nais hawakan ang imbestigasyon ng Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs sa kanyang pamumuno.

"The right to stay in the territory and not to be removed therefrom is a guaranteed right pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act. Where relocation is considered necessary as an exceptional measure, such relocation shall take place only with free and prior informed consent of the concerned Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs), and whenever possible, they shall be guaranteed the right to return to their ancestral domains, as soon as the grounds cease to exist," dagdag ng mambabatas.

Ani Padilla, ang lugar kung saan dinala ang tribo sa paanan ng Mt. Minandar, ay "prone to landslide."

Sa kanyang resolusyon, ipinunto ng mambabatas ang ulat na 127 sa 300 pamilyang apektado sa pilit na relokasyon noong Disyembre 2020 ay nagpetisyon sa NCIP laban sa paglipat sa kanila, nguni't hindi tumugon ang ahensya.

Dahil dito, nais ni Padilla na malaman kung nilabag ang karapatan ng mga Teduray sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas.

"In view of the foregoing, there is a need to examine and review the IPRA as well as the mandate of the NCIP of protecting the rights and welfare of the IPs, with the end in view of amending the provisions of the IPRA," aniya.

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