“What’s in place is essentially a de facto martial law, with bombings, forced evacuations, harassment, and intimidation. This is not mere military presence; it is systematic repression.”

By Shan Kenshin Ecaldre 
Bulatlat.com

MANILA  — “Is our land now meant for business, when it has long been our source of life?” asked Haira Gabrielle Dollano, chairperson of the Mindoro Youth for Environment and Nation (MYEN), during the launch of the Defend Mindoro campaign and network, July 26 in front of the Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City.

The initiative seeks to amplify the voices of Mindoreños in the face of intensifying militarization, red-tagging, aerial bombings, and the encroachment on their ancestral lands.

The Defend Mindoro launch coincided with the State of Human Rights Address as part of the second day of LABAN: Southern Tagalog People’s Caravan, a mobilization led by various progressive organizations from the region.

The program was spearheaded by Karapatan Southern Tagalog and attended by indigenous groups, youth organizations, religious leaders, environmental advocates, and other Mindoreños who stand against the continuing attacks on their livelihood, rights, and ancestral domains.

‘We can no longer live in peace’

Larry Hernandez, a Mangyan-Tadyawon from the group Repungpungan Amayan Iraya Pag Abra de Ilog (RAIPA), spoke of the discrimination and neglect experienced by indigenous communities, especially regarding the lack of basic social services and state protection of their ancestral domains.

“Because of militarization, soldiers sometimes camp directly in our communities. As a result, we can no longer live in peace. Our rights as indigenous peoples and as citizens are no longer respected.” Vivian Balanza, a Mangyan-Iraya from Sitio Malatabako, shared her own experience under corporate land grabbing and military presence.

“My parents are virtually imprisoned inside Hacienda Almeda. I myself experienced abuse and oppression. It made me wonder, does anyone still care about indigenous people? We Mangyan deserve to be seen too. We are humans. We are also created by God.”

Sitio Malatabako is currently under hamleting and food blockade following the takeover of Mangyan ancestral lands by Piece Land Corporation for their real estate and commercial projects. Residents are prohibited from farming or leaving their village, while the presence of the military and armed security forces continues unabated.

Fact-finding confirms bombings, militarization

John Erbel Borreta, spokesperson of Defend Mindoro, presented the findings of several fact-finding and solidarity missions recently conducted in Mindoro’s interior municipalities.

“We consolidated data showing how militarization has affected communities. What’s in place is essentially a de facto martial law, with bombings, forced evacuations, harassment, and intimidation. This is not mere military presence; it is systematic repression,” Borreta said.

One of the documented cases was that of Jay?El “JL” Maligday, a 21-year-old Mangyan-Hanunuo and education student, reportedly killed by soldiers during a military operation. On April 7, 2024, troops raided his home in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, forced his family outside, and gunshots were later heard. He was found dead inside; while the military claimed an encounter, his family and witnesses insisted he was unarmed.

Religious groups are not spared. Pastor Glofie Baluntong of the United Methodist Church has faced red-tagging and threats while delivering humanitarian aid to affected communities.

“This isn’t happening to us alone. But these threats won’t stop us from helping, because this is our duty, and it is the will of God,” Baluntong said. 

Development for whom?

Despite massive infrastructure projects in Mindoro such as port expansions in Calapan and Roxas, highway construction under the Build, Build, Build project of former president Rodrigo Duterte and energy projects like the Pusawan Hydropower and Naujan geothermal plants, basic services remain out of reach, and poverty persists.

“We’re being driven out of our lands to make way for dams, roads, and mining operations. These are not projects for the people. These are for capitalists,” said Haira Dollano. 

Mining ventures, including those by Nickel Asia and Intex Resources, have further intensified land grabs. Defend Mindoro said that militarization in the island serves as a tool of development aggression, violently clearing the way for corporate plunder while forcing communities into hunger and fear.

Mindoro: A mirror of the nation’s crisis

For Amirah Lidasan, national chairperson of the indigenous alliance Sandugo, what is happening in Mindoro reflects a nationwide assault on the rights of indigenous peoples.

“We, the national minorities, continue to fight for our right to our ancestral domains. It is right to rise up against those who steal our lands, the capitalists, the government, and the comprador elite. The local government should support our struggle, and we must have an education that is truly nationalist and liberating.”

Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay underscored that the deepening crisis in Mindoro is not an isolated case, but a reflection of the broader state of the country. “Mindoro is a mirror of the nation, abandoned, oppressed, and robbed of rights. We rise for Mindoro, we rise for Southern Tagalog, and we rise for all the oppressed people of this country,” she declared.
Amid violence and long-standing injustice, the people of Mindoro continue to stand their ground not for personal gain, but for the future of the island and the nation as a whole. Their struggle is a fight for life, dignity, and genuine freedom. (AMU, RVO)