MANILA – They are the stewards of the country’s last remaining forests, protectors of sacred watersheds, and bearers of centuries-old knowledge about land and life. But across the Philippine archipelago, Indigenous Peoples are being pushed out of their ancestral lands, criminalized, and, in many cases, killed—sacrificed in the name of so-called development.

In a report submitted to the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by Indigenous Peoples Rights International, Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, and the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, 43 documented cases reflect a chilling and consistent picture: the Philippine government and private corporations are systematically violating the rights of Indigenous communities—with impunity.

The report highlights widespread abuses, including the denial of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), land grabbing, red-tagging, militarization, and displacement due to extractive and energy projects.  Many of these are now rebranded under the “just transition” or “green energy” framework.

These cases were compiled during the visit of UN Special Rapporteur José Francisco Calí Tzay and Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights to the Philippines in July 2024.

“Human rights abuses against Indigenous Peoples have risen, with forced evacuations, militarization, and other violations affecting tens of thousands,” the report said.

New name, same plunder

The report stressed the intensifying human rights violations in the guise of “green development”. Under the Marcos Jr. administration, the push for “energy transition” projects—hydropower, solar farms, and mining for critical minerals—led to renewed encroachments into Indigenous territories.

The Marcos Jr. administration released its roadmap for renewable energy expansion through the Department of Energy’s Philippine Energy Plan for 2023-2050 aiming for at least a 35% share in the power generation mix by 2030, 50% by 2040, and more than 50% by 2050.

Many of these renewable energy projects are being built—or are planned to be built—on ancestral lands. For instance, one-fourth of the more than 400 proposed hydropower projects will be built on indigenous peoples’ lands. Hydropower projects account for 45% of the country’s renewable energy sources.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is the second-largest exporter of nickel, a transition mineral used in electric vehicles. It is mined on ancestral lands such as those in Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte.

Read: Making a killing off nickel mining in Palawan

“It’s still the same destructive mining, just with a new label,” Beverly Longid, Indigenous Bontok leader and national convenor of Panaghiusa, said in a forum on April 8 at the University of the Philippines Diliman to launch the report. “Worse, violations are often facilitated by government agencies—DENR, NCIP, DAR, even DPWH. These are not isolated cases,” she added.

From the Chico River in Kalinga to the shores of Palawan and the plains of Bukidnon, Indigenous communities reported violations of the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process where they are excluded from consultations, misled about project impacts, or pressured into fast-tracking the processes. In some cases, Indigenous groups allege that the FPIC process was manipulated.

Read: Push for renewables threatens lands and livelihood in the Cordillera

“Public authorities were oftentimes found to be the perpetrators of human rights violations themselves,” the report notes. Government agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were named as key actors in FPIC violations and land grabbing.

In Nueva Vizcaya, Indigenous Tuwali residents were violently dispersed during a peaceful barricade against OceanaGold’s mining operations. In Ilocos Norte, solar energy projects displaced communities without proper FPIC. In Bukidnon, the Manobo-Pulangiyon tribe continues to live in roadside camps after being evicted by a pineapple plantation owned by the town’s mayor.

Read: Anti-mining leader nabbed as cops disperse people’s barricade against Oceanagold

Militarization as a tool of displacement

Behind every extractive or infrastructure project, the report finds a familiar pattern: militarization. Internal security forces—soldiers, police, and paramilitary groups—are routinely deployed to Indigenous territories. Their presence, far from providing protection, often results in harassment, arbitrary arrests, and even killings.

The report documented the killings of members of Indigenous communities. For instance, in Capiz, nine Tumandok leaders were massacred during a counterinsurgency operation in 2020. In Mindoro, a Hanunuo-Mangyan youth was killed in a military raid that was falsely reported as an armed encounter. In Sultan Kudarat, a 16-year-old Dulangan Manobo was shot dead and branded as a rebel.

Read: Gov’t troops massacre 9 Tumandok in Panay
Read: Family of slain youth IP files charges vs military
Read: Groups seek justice for IP student killed in a military operation

“Internal security forces, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit, frequently perpetrate these abuses, using counterinsurgency operations to suppress dissent and opposition to land encroachments,” the report said.

Red-tagging, criminalization, and the war on education

Beyond militarization, Indigenous leaders and rights defenders face rampant red-tagging and criminal charges. Under Executive Order No. 70 and the Anti-Terrorism Law, Indigenous Peoples are among the “focus sectors” of the government’s national security policy.

The report documents cases where civilian leaders were branded as communists, arrested without warrant, and slapped with trumped-up charges. A stark example: the “Talaingod 18,” including Lumad teachers and support staff, were convicted in July 2024 despite widespread condemnation from human rights groups.

Read: Unjust conviction of Talaingod 18 proves ineffective justice system

“It's normal to feel afraid after being red-tagged. There was a time when I couldn’t move or reach out to the communities I was organizing because they were afraid of being associated with me,” said Funa-ay Claver, an indigenous youth activist and spokesperson of Katribu during the forum.

Community-built Lumad schools, once hailed as solutions to the chronic lack of access to education in rural areas, have been shut down and labeled “NPA training grounds.”

At least 215 schools have closed, the report notes, due to relentless military surveillance, raids, and red-tagging.

Read: Lumad schools appeal for public support amid DepEd closure order

Forests, waters, and lives at stake

Among the findings of the report is the alarming overlap between claims of ancestral domains—estimated to cover 14 million hectares or around 47% of the Philippines' total land area—and designated protected areas, leading to disputes and the erasure of indigenous rights over their own territories.

“Many ancestral lands are being claimed as national forests or parks, even without community consent. That’s despite clear legal recognition,” Longid said. “These overlapping designations become convenient entry points for large-scale mining and infrastructure projects.”

Despite laws like the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) and international conventions like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), communities remain under siege. Only 33% of ancestral domains have been formally titled. Even fewer are registered with the Land Registration Authority, making them vulnerable to overlapping claims.

Behind these numbers and legal battles are stories of survival and resistance was highlighted in the report.

In the Bangsamoro region, the Teduray and Lambangian peoples face forced displacement and violent incursions into their lands by plantation companies and armed groups. In Palawan, the Calamian Tagbanwa are fighting corporate demolition orders and the loss of their traditional fishing grounds. In Zamboanga del Norte, the Subanen are protesting against illegal mining threatening their watershed.

“The issue of land must be addressed—this is the long-term solution to end the killings of non-Moro Indigenous peoples in the BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao],” said Teduray leader Mary Joie Melis of the Inged Fintaylan.

Call for justice

For the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, this report is not just documentation—it’s a renewed call for justice, accountability, and survival. Among the urgent recommendations were an official investigation and country visit by the UN Special Rapporteur; repeal of the Anti-Terrorism Law and abolition of the NTF-ELCAC; an end to red-tagging and criminalization of Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders; and support for Indigenous-led initiatives and immediate humanitarian assistance to displaced communities.

Longid said that the recommendations submitted to the UN were not new. “These are calls we’ve raised for decades. But now, we want accountability.” (RTS, DAA)