Julia Christine Botin

NCIP wants Capas police to explain arrest of Aetas at Mount Pinatubo protest

Article (news)

Marilyn Cahatol

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples said it is seeking an explanation from police in Capas, Tarlac for the arrest of members of the indigenous Aeta people who barricaded the Mount Pinatubo crater in protest, saying also that the incident “highlights critical issues regarding indigenous rights and tourism practices.”</p><p>According to IP alliance Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, police arrested members of the Aeta community who had blocked tourist access to the volcano, a popular tourist destination, on April 18.</p><p>“While some individuals were briefly taken into custody by the police authorities, they were released the same day with no charges filed,” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NCIPportal/posts/pfbid02DBGP4bfukWbPMXVTnnccFDqpKQAM33X2TaQBW4dnYvFqH7EwLJjM2KsKW9gDUB3Dl">NCIP said Friday</a>.</p><p>“Nevertheless, we are seeking explanation from the law enforcement authorities on the propriety of taking into custody of the Indigenous Peoples who are peacefully airing their grievances within the four corners of their ancestral domain.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/2/24/the-journey-it-took-us-to-mt-pinatubo-ph-s-new-social-media-darling-902">The journey it took us to Mt. Pinatubo – PH’s new social media darling </a></div><p>Ancestral domain refers to land claimed and possessed by IP groups or indigenous cultural communities &quot;since time immemorial, continuously to the present.&quot;</p><div><strong>KATRIBU: NO GENUINE CONSENT FROM AETA COMMUNITY</strong></div><p>Katribu on Wednesday said tourism and development in Mount Pinatubo had been “weaponized as tools of displacement and marginalization” of locals, including the Aeta community in Capas.</p><p>It also said tourism has been done without “genuine free and prior informed consent (FPIC), cultural sensitivity, and compensation for the Aeta communities.”</p><p>FPIC is a requirement for activities, including tourism as well as mining and logging, in ancestral domain under Republic Act No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997. </p><p>Aets in Capas have also faced displacement because of development projects like the multi-hectare New Clark City, the main venue of the SEA Games in 2019.</p><p>Katribu said Wednesday that the marginalization of the Aetas has been “enabled not only by private profiteers but by the negligence and complicity of state actors” like the NCIP.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/5/27/more-than-half-of-indigenous-peoples-see-selves-as-poor-world-bank-1436">More than half of Indigenous Peoples see themselves as &#x27;poor&#x27;, says the World Bank</a></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkatribuphils%2Fvideos%2F1206650631063861%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><div><strong>NCIP: TALKS ONGOING SINCE OCTOBER</strong></div><p>NCIP on Friday said it has been working with the Aeta community, the local government of Capas and other stakeholders since last October to address concerns over tourism in Mount Pinatubo.</p><p>“Our efforts aim to ensure that indigenous peoples receive a fair share of tourism benefits without imposing additional costs on visitors,” the commission also said.</p><p>It acknowledged that the protest “[underscores] the need for meaningful dialogue on ancestral land rights and equitable tourism practices” and that IP communities’s rights should be respected “while promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism.”</p><p>NCIP said it will continue to engage stakeholders and has “already explored solutions that promote harmony and equity for all involved.” <strong>— with Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rewa8irNtyY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>NCIP on Friday said it has been working with the Aeta community, the local government of Capas and other stakeholders since last October to address concerns over tourism in Mount Pinatubo.</p>

NCIP on Friday said it has been working with the Aeta community, the local government of Capas and other stakeholders since last October to address concerns over tourism in Mount Pinatubo.