MANILA – In the wee hours of May 18, more than 40 armed private blue guards entered the island of Sitio Marihangin, Bugsuk, Palawan, heightening tensions with residents who are defending their community.

Residents said that the private blue guards are deployed by the JMV Security Services again, the same agency that deployed 80 armed private blue guards in their community on April 4. In both incidents, the guards arrived on the island at around 3 a.m.

Read: Arrest of 10 indigenous peoples, community leaders in Palawan: unjust use of legal tactics

Lyn Moraco, a Molbog indigenous resident, pleaded to authorities to help them with the escalating harassment that they have been experiencing. In a video statement, she said in Filipino, “We really hope you can help us. You shouldn’t always be siding with them. You should be siding with us, the indigenous people. Day and night we can’t sleep — we hope you show us some compassion.”

“We really need your help here. They are telling us that there are no Molbog [indigenous peoples] here. We cannot defend our community with their numbers. They said that more guards are yet to come,” Moraco added.

In the previous Bulatlat story, lawyers of the both parties — the Molbog and the JMV Security Services — tried to talk with each other via phone on April 4. The security agency’s lawyer said that they bought the rights from the previous house owners, prompting them to operate in the bounds of “legality.” 

Janna Naseron Pelayo, another Molbog indigenous resident, has experienced threat and harassment in defending their community. She was held at gunpoint by five armed private blue guards. “We are here in Sitio Mariahangin, suffering, because of the arrival of many blue guards,” Pelayo said in a Filipino statement.

On May 17, ten indigenous and non-indigenous community leaders were released on bail, following their arrest last May 15 for charges of “grave coercion” filed by the former executive of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Caesar Ortega.

Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (Pakisama) and its allied organizations have raised the bail of P360,000 imposed on the ten indigenous and non-indigenous residents. The first hearing for the grave coercion case is scheduled on May 26.

“Despite compelling evidence, including a community-submitted video showing women-led residents peacefully blocking SMC representatives on June 27, 2023, the court proceeded with the case,” Pakisama said in a statement. “The video clearly refutes Ortega’s allegations, affirming the community’s commitment to nonviolence in protecting their rights under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA).”

Pakisama added that while the release is a triumph of solidarity and justice, the bail was a punitive barrier meant to silence their struggle. They also extended their gratitude to the individuals and institutions who offered financial and moral support to the arrested residents, including the church, led by Bishop Soc Mesiona of the Puerto Princesa Vicariate, and the students of the Ateneo de Manila University.

National and international indigenous peoples organizations also stand in solidarity with the Molbog’s fight for ancestral lands. Among them were the Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Katribu), Philippines ICCA Consortium, and Coalition of Municipal Fisherfolks Association, among others.

Due to the heightened tensions in the community, residents are taking turns to guard their island 24/7. Ortega, who was behind the “grave coercion” charges against the community leaders, was also the same signatory for the deployment of 80 private guards in April. The residents are still asking for documents from the guards as of this writing.

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) previously denied “legal ownership” of Sitio Marihangin, but the residents exposed the resettlement package offered by Ramon Ang, chairman and CEO of SMC. The Bricktree properties, an SMC subsidiary, is also set to establish a large-scale eco-luxury tourism project spanning more than 5,500 hectares known as the Bugsuk Island Resort. However, the proposed project is supposed to span only Bugsuk island, an adjacent island of Sitio Marihangin.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has been urged to give the land back to the Molbog indigenous peoples. Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III revoked the Notice of Coverage (NOC) of the 10,821 hectares of land of the indigenous peoples in Bugsuk, Palawan which was initially issued in 2014 under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER).

Read: DAR urged to give land coverage back to the Molbog people

Meanwhile, the application for Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) in the ancestral lands of Mariahangin, Palawan, has been put to halt nearly 20 years since it was filed.  More than 90 families continue to stand their grounds and refuse to accept the offered resettlement program. (RTS, RVO)