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The forum, organized by the Indigenous advocates and church groups, highlighted what they called the continuing plunder of ancestral lands under the Marcos Jr. administration, a policy they said is masked by the rhetoric of progress and modernization.
APARSUK co-head Angel Sarmiento embraces Molbog resident Tarhata Pelayo after injunction hearing. Photo by Francessca Abalos/Bulatlat
Angelica Nasiron, the latest victim of the criminal charges filed against the indigenous residents of Sitio Marihangin, said that the cyberlibel cases are attempts to “intimidate and silence my fellow indigenous people still fighting for our place in Marihangin [sic].”
Some come to surf or recover, drawn to Siargao’s beauty and relative peace. But their presence, often marked by aggressive behavior, loud partying, and a disregard for local customs, has begun to unsettle the community.
“The court’s ruling disregarded compelling evidence of the Marihangin community’s ancestral claims, including photographs of sacred burial grounds and the testimonies of three Molbog residents."
“Our sacred land is not a resort. It is the heart of our people’s memory, dignity ang survival. We call on all Filipinos, government institutions, and civil society to reject impunity and corporate violence.”
These charges were filed against a certain "Mary Jane Velasco", of which Niezel has no connection to.
“The latest incarceration of Pelayo, a vocal advocate for ancestral land and water rights, is yet another example of legal tactics weaponized to suppress the community’s resistance."
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.
Most of the arrested residents are known leaders who are actively speaking and campaigning against the entry of a private corporation in their island.
What they stand to lose is far more than copper and gold. It is everything they call home.
A Mindanao anthropologist said that it is “ridiculous and preposterous” to say that Kamigin Indigenous People do not exist.
“Large-scale mining and energy projects are being rebranded as ‘green solutions.’ But the cost is high: massive excavation, deforestation, and the displacement of communities. These projects worsen landlessness and threaten food security."
At the 41st People’s Cordillera Day, the call to surface Dexter and Bazoo resounded through poetry, song, and collective memory—a call carried by loved ones and communities determined to bring them home.
“For years, various tour operators have built a flourishing tourism industry on Ayta ancestral land, generating profit while the very people who have safeguarded these lands for generations receive little to nothing in return,” Katribu said in a statement.
For the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, this report is not just documentation—it’s a renewed call for justice, accountability, and survival.
“Deploying armed men in Indigenous communities to enforce displacement and make way for big business interests has no place in a democratic society.”
"Our community was once full of life, peaceful, but now we are being harassed by corporations trying to claim our land. We do not even know where they supposedly bought our land from. We just want a peaceful life."
“I find Michelle as one of the brilliant and intelligent Lumad students of Alcadev. Like many indigenous youth who received education from this alternative learning institution, they have a stark characteristic: they are empowered enough to live and assert the indigenous peoples’ right to self determination.”
A notable finding from the report is the confirmation of the identities of three other individuals who have been under strict military custody in the hospital, together with Lumad leader Michelle Campos: Aldren Baguio, Jun Rey Tejero Misoles, and Rovelyn Acevido. The three have been arrested without warrants, while Campos was served a warrant of arrest five days after (March 11) her arrest.
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