The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) has condemned what it described as ongoing human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law in Mindoro.
The group warned that militarization and neglect are worsening the decades-old conflict on the island.
“Sadly, the said violations happened during the observation of International Humanitarian Law Month,” PEPP said in a statement released August 29.
Rights advocates, it noted, have long pointed to “the lack of basic social services, the failure of the state to protect Indigenous peoples’ ancestral domains, the inequitable distribution of resources, and environmental degradation” as among the root causes of unrest.
The ecumenical body cited the August 7 killing of Ising Domingo, a Mangyan-Hanunuo captured unarmed in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro. A local alternative news outlet reported that her death “may constitute a war crime if it is determined that she was hors de combat.”
Under international law, those in such a condition are entitled to protection and humane treatment.
PEPP also voiced concern after three soldiers were killed in Baco on August 12. “We also express our concern over the possibility of retaliation against local communities,” the group warned.
Mindoro, historically called “Mina de Oro” for its mineral wealth, has been marked a “priority counterinsurgency zone.”
Many residents, particularly Indigenous groups, have resisted mining ventures and development projects that, according to PEPP, “have been met with armed repression, while opportunities for dialogue or the protection of rights have been insufficient.”
The platform renewed its call for “urgent protection for the Mangyan people and other Indigenous communities from the encroachment of their ancestral lands, militarization, aerial bombings, killings, arrests, red-tagging, and other forms of violence.”
It also backed Bishop Moises Cuevas of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan, who earlier raised alarm over dredging and black sand mining projects.
“Such projects should be based on thorough research, adhere to environmental guidelines, and be openly monitored by the public,” the statement said.
PEPP urged the government to recognize the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and to fully uphold the Geneva Conventions.
“It is essential to create an inclusive, compassionate, and collaborative space for the formal peace talks,” it said.
“Ultimately, we call for the immediate resumption of formal peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and National Democratic Front of the Philippines; We believe this is a viable and less costly way to address the root causes of the conflict, such as land dispossession, inequality, and militarization,” the group declared.
The statement was signed by Archbishop Emeritus Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, Bishop Rex B. Reyes Jr., Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iñiguez Jr., Sr. Mary John D. Mananzan, OSB, Rev. Dr. Aldrin M. Peñamora, and Ms. Minnie Anne M. Calub on behalf of PEPP.
