The Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Princesa has called for the protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights to peacefully defend their ancestral lands following the arrest of 10 residents of Sitio Mariahangin in Balabac, Palawan.
Bishop Socrates C. Mesiona condemned the arrest and expressed solidarity with the Indigenous people “in their defense of their right to live peacefully on the lands inherited from their ancestors.”
“These individuals are ordinary people who simply seek to protect their right to live and work their lands,” the prelate added.
The residents—mostly from the Molbog indigenous community—were arrested and charged with “grave coercion” after an incident in June 2024 involving Atty. Caesar M. Ortega, former executive director of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
The case centers on the residents’ resistance to what they claim was a forced resettlement offer allegedly linked to San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
Farmers’ federation PAKISAMA described the charges as unjust and accused Ortega of acting on behalf of non-resident claimants tied to SMC.
The group said the Puerto Princesa Regional Trial Court allowed the case to proceed despite video evidence showing women-led residents peacefully blocking Ortega’s group from entering the island on June 27, 2024.
“The arrest of these nine Molbog defenders and the 360,000-peso bail are outrageous assaults on indigenous rights,” said PAKISAMA National Chairperson Kadodoy Ballon. “This community, led courageously by women, faces corporate greed and government complicity with unwavering nonviolence.”
The P360,000 bail has prompted urgent fundraising efforts from advocacy groups, including Ateneo Para sa Bugsuk and Sambilog – Balik Bugsuk Movement. Ateneo Para sa Bugsuk called the incident “an unjust use of legal tactics, which weaponizes the law against the very people it is meant to protect.”
The community has reported increased harassment since June 2023, when SMC representatives allegedly offered financial compensation for residents to vacate their land. Two more legal cases—physical assault and cyberlibel—have been filed against community leaders.
On June 29, 2024, 16 armed guards from a security firm allegedly hired by SMC’s subsidiary Bricktree Properties fired live bullets near the community.
Ortega, also linked to the deployment of 80 armed guards on the island in April 2024, has not responded publicly to the allegations.
San Miguel Corporation has denied owning the contested land, but residents say documents and resettlement offers from SMC’s top leadership point to its involvement.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) earlier revoked a 2014 Notice of Coverage over 10,821 hectares in Bugsuk. Meanwhile, the Molbog community’s application for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title has been stalled for nearly two decades.
PAKISAMA has called on the Commission on Human Rights, Department of Justice, NCIP, and DAR to investigate the arrests, ongoing intimidation, and delays in land tenure recognition.
It also urged the immediate withdrawal of security personnel and the cessation of all forms of harassment in Sitio Mariahangin.
Bishop Mesiona’s statement is the latest in a growing wave of support from civil society, Church groups, and international solidarity networks backing the Molbog people’s call for justice. – with reports from Bulatlat.com
