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Friday, March 29, 2024

DENR to protect IPs’ rights

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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has vowed to protect the rights of the indigenous peoples in Mindanao on alleged encroachment of their ancestral domain.

Secretary Roy Cimatu has ordered the investigation into the integrated forest management agreement of M&S Co. in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat be speeded up.

He tasked the agency’s legal team on the creation of a fact-finding team to look into the firm’s IFMA.  

The issue stemmed from the visit of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Sultan Kudarat on the IFMA issue.

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“I ordered our legal team to conduct thorough investigation and give priority on this,” Cimatu said.

DENR just received the formal complaint last July, he said.

A week ago, the indigenous peoples group accused Cimatu of neglect of duty for “failing to stop the illegal operation of a coffee plantation on their ancestral domain.”

“I fully disagree with the accusation of the group because this activity happened before my time,” the DENR chief said.

On Nov. 15, the T’boli-Manobo S’daf Claimants Organization (Tamasco) filed a special civil action with the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for a legal claim.

The group said the environment agency under Cimatu violated the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act for failing to secure their consent before any activity could be done on their ancestral domain.  

The Dawang coffee plantation encroached on the ancestral land of the T’boli and Manobo in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

“To date, I never approved any IFMA. If ever I need to approve, I will ensure that our indigenous peoples’ welfare will be given the utmost priority,” Cimatu said. 

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