Katribu described Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a hypocrite who “celebrates Indigenous heritage in words while waging war against indigenous peoples defending their ancestral lands and right to self-determination.” 

By Aaron Ernest Cruz
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Indigenous group Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Katribu) slammed Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration hypocrisy in celebrating Indigenous People’s Month this October while attacks against indigenous communities continue and their rights are violated. 

In a video statement, Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to promote the culture of IPs that represent our “Filipino-ness.” “Alalahanin natin na ang kultura ng Pilipino ay nanggaling sa ating mga katutubo, ang mga unang mga Pilipino,” Marcos Jr. said.

Katribu asserted that Marcos Jr.’s statement is a sham, describing him as a hypocrite who “celebrates Indigenous heritage in words while waging war against indigenous peoples defending their ancestral lands and right to self-determination.” 

Under Marcos Jr.  administration, there were eight cases of IP killings, including one Moro. 

Indigenous groups and advocates recorded 11 bombings of IP communities by state forces resulting in the displacement of Indigenous communities, particularly in Cordillera region and in parts of Oriental Mindoro. 

There are also four recorded cases of enforced disappearance on Indigenous rights defenders including Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” De Jesus who remain missing for two years.  

Read: Families hope court ruling can help find Dexter and Bazoo 

Of the 109 victims of illegal arrests and detention of IPs and advocates, 22 occurred during the term of Marcos Jr. 

Katribu also received reports of violations on the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) by the government to pave the way for renewable projects within the IP ancestral domain. 

Katribu raised the case of IP leaders and environment advocates and progressive groups who were subjected to harassment during the International Solidarity Mission (ISM) which took place on Oct. 11-15. The mission investigated the situation of the Indigenous communities in Southern Tagalog as well as in Negros Occidental and Eastern Visayas. 

IP communities from Cordillera also have similar cases of rights abuses by state forces. The elements of 503rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army went to the home of Indigenous woman leader Betty Belen and her husband in Kalinga, accusing them of being part of the “New People’s Army list.”

Read: Women’s group in Cordillera decries harassment of leader 

Meanwhile, the Mangyan-Iraya community in Sitio Malatabako, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro are still suffering from food blockade and legal persecution by Pieceland Corporation since October 2024. Pieceland filed civil and criminal cases against them.

Katribu claimed that these nationwide cases of harassment by state forces were part of the scheme of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). They also added that the budget allocated in their program was only for militarization, surveillance and psywar operation against Indigenous territories.

“While corrupt officials enrich themselves, Indigenous Peoples are starved, displaced, and criminalized for defending their land,” the statement read. 

Mega dam projects like the Kaliwa-Kanan-Laiban dam also bring destruction and displacement to IP communities in Quezon and Rizal province. Those who showed opposition to the said project are subjected to harassment and other rights violations.

Dubbed as “Bloody Sunday Massacre” on March 7, 2021, Puroy and Randy dela Cruz, Dumagat activists, who led the opposition against the said projects were killed with seven other activists.

Sara Duterte no different

Aside from Marcos Jr., the group also criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s greetings for Indigenous People’s Month, citing the rights violations that the IP communities faced during her term as mayor in Davao and as a Vice President of the Philippines.

In 2019, the Department of Education (DepEd) closed 55 Lumad schools across the Davao region, two of which were in Davao City. In 2020, armed paramilitary men harassed and intimidated the Lumad Bakwit School in Haran, Davao City. 

Katribu called out the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP) due to its failure to protect the rights of IP and their ancestral lands.

During the plenary session of  budget hearing at House of Representatives, NCIP did not condemn the attacks on IP communities especially the killings of three Indigenous youth: Mangyan-Hanunuo Jay-el Maligday, Lumad-Manobo Kuni Cuba, and Elioterio Ugking. 

“Katribu holds the Marcos Jr. regime, the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines], the NTF-ELCAC, and the NCIP fully accountable for these continuing state-sponsored atrocities against Indigenous Peoples. We demand an end to militarization, red-tagging, and corporate land-grabbing,” Katribu said. (AMU, RVO)