Bridges: Rights of indigenous people trampled

SAMMY JULIAN

THE recent report involving a landlord and his security guards who shot at and held at gunpoint indigenous people who were to occupy their ancestral land in Quezon, Bukidnon, has reached the attention of the international community.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), in particular, expressed its deep concern about the incident. It demanded an investigation.

In its mission report titled, “Pakighiusa: Solidarity Mission to Members of TINDOGA in Support of Their Struggle for Land and Life,” prepared by the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines–Northern Mindanao Sub-region, the AHRC noted that the armed security guards indiscriminately shot at Manobo–Pulangihon tribe on April 23 purposely to drive them away from their land.

The indigenous tribe, composed of 530 families from four clans, is led by Datu Santiano “Andong” Agdahan. The tribe members have already been recognized as the rightful owners of the 623 hectares of land as part of their ancestral domain. Datu Agdahan also heads the TINDOGA (Tribal Indigenous Oppressed Group Association).

On April 23, in support of their claim, the tribes were accompanied by officials from national and local government agencies, notably the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the municipal government and the police.

But at around 1 p.m., armed security guards, reportedly working for a certain Pablo “Poling” Lorenzo III, who claims to be the owner of Rancho Montalvan, were deployed and allegedly indiscriminately shot at the group.

They also held “12 individuals at gunpoint,” five of whom were women and three were minors.

The armed men supposedly concealed their identities by not wearing their uniforms. Most of them reportedly wore black long sleeves, their faces covered with either balaclavas or shirts.

We join the AHRC in expressing the belief that the use of force and intimidation, by shooting at the indigenous people and holding them at gunpoint, was done purposely to frighten and intimidate this group claiming their right to occupy their ancestral land.

Together with AHRC, we also urge the government to hold accountable Ma. Shirlene D. Sario, provincial officer of NCIP, for allegedly failing to fulfill her obligation to ensure that the indigenous people are properly installed in their land.

It was reported that even though the NCIP has already declared the 623-hectare land as ancestral domain of the Manobo–Pulangihons, “only 70 hectares were allotted for use of the claimants. The rest were classified as forest reserves.”

Interestingly, what is supposed to be forest reserves are mostly planted with “sugarcane and pineapple.”

Like AHRC, we also express disappointment at the lack of concern, notably by the local government officials in Quezon, Bukidnon, to address the urgent needs of their own constituents./PN