MANILA (LiCAS News): The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines [CBCP] demanded immediate action to address what it called “enduring wounds of historical injustices” against the Molbog and Cagayanen Indigenous Peoples [IPs] of Palawan.
“This concern is not only local to Palawan but a common experience among our Indigenous peoples’ communities throughout the country,” the bishops said in a pastoral letter issued on August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration.
Signed by CBCP president, Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, came after Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa and Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Taytay, both of Palawan, raised the issue at the bishops’ recent plenary assembly.
The letter called on the government to resolve long-standing land disputes, stop harassment, and ensure justice for the Molbog and Cagayanen communities.
The bishops pointed out the Molbog and Cagayanen of Bugsuk Island in Balabac have faced displacement and harassment since Martial Law [under late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr.] and “continue to endure these injustices today, as their ancestral lands remain unjustly seized.”
This concern is not only local to Palawan but a common experience among our Indigenous peoples’ communities throughout the country
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
They cited the situation in Maria Hangin, a barangay near Bugsuk, where “on June 27, 2024, news spread about plans to demolish their homes for an eco-luxury tourism project. This was followed by harassment, including the presence of armed groups and intimidating lawsuits,” the letter noted.
The CBCP noted that, despite these challenges, the communities “continue to hold onto the hope and dream of one day returning to their ancestral home” through the Balik Bugsuk! [return Bugsuk] movement.
The bishops said the indigenous peoples filed a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title [CADT] in 2005, but “their application remains pending even until now.”
They added that the Department of Agrarian Reform [DAR] issued Notices of Coverage [NOCs] in 2014 under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Programme, but “the euphoria was short-lived” when these were recalled in May 2023 after the land was deemed unsuitable for agriculture.
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The CBCP issued two urgent appeals. “To whoever is responsible for the presence of armed groups in Maria Hangin: We humbly but strongly request the immediate withdrawal of these groups from the island,” the bishops said.
…work hand in hand to ensure that our indigenous brothers and sisters throughout the country will be free to live on their ancestral lands, in dignity and peace
They also urged the DAR and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples [NCIP] to revisit the recalled NOCs and expedite the resolution of the CADT application “so that the ancestral rights of the indigenous communities of Maria Hangin Island may be finally recognised and upheld.”
In their appeal, the bishops citied the biblical Jubilee Year as a call for justice and land restitution. They also invoked the reminder of former president [1953 to 1957], Ramon Magsaysay, that “those who have less in life should have more in law.”
They appealed to the public to “work hand in hand to ensure that our indigenous brothers and sisters throughout the country will be free to live on their ancestral lands, in dignity and peace.”
The bishops said, “By working together, guided by the principles of justice, charity, and solidarity, we can help correct historical injustices.”
