[Press Release] Palaweños report militarization in ancestral domains IPs fear killing incident due to mining

Brooke’s Point, Palawan— Crossfire incidents forced indigenous peoples to leave their homes. Communities in Palawan are threatened by the presence of military in their areas allegedly due to infestation of New Peoples Army (NPA) in the mountains. “Pinaputok ng mining company ng ang lugar naming ay infested ng mga NPA. Na di umanoy may mga…

Human Rights Online Philippines

May 2, 2011

2–3 minutes

Alyansa Tigil Mina, Business, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Holy Week, Indigenous People, Mining, New People’s Army, Palawan, Philippine

“Pinaputok ng mining company ng ang lugar naming ay infested ng mga NPA. Na di umanoy may mga NPA na sumusuporta sa anti-mining, lalo na sa amin ni Kap Lagrada. Hinahanap di umano ng mga NPA ang mga pro mining leaders dahilan para mag apply sila nga military sa area lalo na sa mining claim (Mining companies here reported that there are members of NPA here, that NPAs are supporting anti-mining struggle. NPA are allegedly looking for IP leaders who are pro-mining that is why there is a need to deploy military in areas where mining activities are present) said Artiso Mandawa, chairperson of Ancestral Land Domain Watch Network of Palawan (ALDAW) and Palawan Provincial Consultative Body.

Mandawa further reported that it has been almost two months since military and policemen regularly go up and down, even passing through their ancestral domain. In the morning of April 29, one squad in full battle gear again trekked to the mountains.

Jaybee Garganera, national coordinator of Alyansa Tigil Mina exclaimed, “This is clearly harassment and we forward our concern to President Aquino and the Commission on Human Rights to act on this. We hope that the government will not allow another life to be taken to quiet down the anti-mining struggle.”

“Two weeks ago, IPs were taken by policemen for interrogation without due process. People left their homes because they might be caught in crossfire—but we see this as actions that will only lead to further harassment and the free entry of three giant mining companies,” added Mandawa.

Before Holy Week, President Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III cancelled the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreements issued to MBMI Resources Inc covering some 12,000 hectares of land in the municipalities of Rizal, Bataraza and Narra in Southern Palawan.

ALDAW Network is an advocacy-campaign network of Indigenous Peoples jointly constituted by NATRIPAL (United Tribes of Palawan) and BANGSA PALAWAN PHILIPPINES (Indigenous Alliance for Equity and Wellbeing).

Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) is an alliance of mining-affected communities and their support groups of NGOs/POs and other civil society organizations who are opposing the aggressive promotion of large-scale mining in the Philippines.

Press Release
May 2, 2011
For more information:
Artiso Mandawa, ALDAW Chairman, (0905) 614.56.31 <aldawnetwork@gmail.com>
Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator, (0927) 761.76.02 <nc@alyansatigilmina.net>
Farah Sevilla, ATM Policy & Advocacy Officer, (0915) 331.33.61 <policy@alyansatigilmina.net>