“Ang laban ng Ayta ay laban ng sambayanang Pilipino!”
Indigenous communities, farmers, and residents of Capas staged a protest march on July 14 to denounce continuing militarization and land encroachment around the Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB).
The action coincided with the 79th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to the nearby National Academy of Sports in New Clark City.
KATRIBU, a national alliance of Indigenous peoples, declared solidarity with the Ayta, condemning restrictions imposed by the Air Force that limit residents’ access to their own ancestral lands.
Communities reported being barred from bringing in essential supplies, a move they described as coercive displacement.
Protesters warned that militarization has never brought peace to Indigenous villages, instead fueling intimidation, violence, and forced land conversion.
They cited the loss of thousands of hectares to state projects such as New Clark City and raised alarm over the proposed Pax Silica Industrial Hub, which they say threatens further dispossession and commercialization of Ayta territory.
KATRIBU accused Marcos Jr. of betraying Indigenous peoples by backing projects that weaponize ancestral lands for military and corporate use.
“Hindi dapat gawing kampo militar o sentro ng negosyo ang lupang ninuno,” the group stressed, calling for accountability and resistance against policies that sacrifice community rights for elite and foreign interests.
The Ayta struggle in Capas, they emphasized, is not isolated — it is a fight shared by the broader Filipino people against militarization, land grabbing, and systemic neglect. # (ZIA LUNA)
