Katribu Demands Repeal of IPRA, Abolition of NCIP Amid Mining Conflicts

📷: Kodao Productions

On the 27th anniversary of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA), national Indigenous alliance Katribu renewed its call to repeal the landmark law and abolish the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), accusing both of enabling corporate encroachment on ancestral lands.

In a  statement released on October 29, Katribu condemned the NCIP for what it described as “complicity in land-grabbing and resource plunder,” citing ongoing mining operations in Indigenous territories across the Philippines. “IPRA and NCIP have become instruments of repression, deception, and dispossession,” said Katribu national convenor Atty. Beverly Longid. “They were supposed to protect our rights, but instead they’ve facilitated our displacement.”

The group highlighted resistance efforts in communities such as Dupax del Norte, Mankayan, Itogon, Palawan, Mindoro, and Tampakan, where Indigenous Peoples have staged barricades, rallies, and legal actions against mining firms including Woggle Corporation, Crescent Mining, and Itogon Suyoc Resources, Inc. (ISRI). “These communities are not just protesting—they are defending their lives, livelihoods, and ancestral territories,” Longid emphasized.

Tensions escalated earlier this month when police were deployed to dismantle a barricade in Dupax del Norte following a court order for the arrest of protesters. In Itogon, armed guards of Sangilo Mines, operated by ISRI, reportedly attacked local miners on October 1, leaving several injured. Meanwhile, in Mankayan, residents continue to decry the NCIP’s failure to address violations of the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process.

“The NCIP is always at the scene of the crime,” said Katribu spokesperson Lita Wagang. “They issue permits and certifications that allow corporations to enter our lands. They do not protect Indigenous rights—they protect corporate interests.”

Katribu also criticized the broader political climate, linking the issue to systemic corruption. “Bureaucrat capitalism is the root problem,” Wagang added. “Corporations and government agencies are bound by greed, enriching themselves from the resources of the common people.”

Despite these challenges, Katribu praised the resilience of Indigenous communities. “We laud the steadfast defense of our people in Dupax del Norte, Mankayan, Itogon, and Tampakan,” Longid said. “No amount of manipulation, intimidation, or violence will outweigh the people’s need to survive and protect their ancestral lands.”

The group concluded its statement with a rallying cry: “Defend our ancestral lands! Resist corporate plunder! No to mining!” (ZIA LUNA)