MANGENGUEY Island (Coron, Palawan). FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—“We want the natives, especially the indigenous people to have better financial capabilities that is why we are working hard to attract investors in Coron.”
This was what Coron, Palawan Sangguniang Bayan (SB) spokesperson John Patrick Matta told the media in a forum at the Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City on Thursday. But all their efforts are turning futile with the way the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (Ipra) is being interpreted and implemented.
Investments kept at bay
In his recent disclosure, a pearl farm was forced to close down based on a temporary restraining order (TRO) handed down by the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), while the owner of a first-class resort was asked to pay P2.5-M for the permission to operate, plus an annual fee of P500,000, including 2 percent of the island resort’s gross sales as lease payment on the island. All these troubles are being faced by the investors on the basis of existing claims on the lands those establishments are situated.
“How can a simple claim be given such an authority? We have to understand that the complainants have yet to obtain a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) in both incidents,” said Dr. Orlando Sacay, a supposed investor in the municipality.
Matta meanwhile is puzzled as to where the figure asked of the resort owner to pay are founded, including the lease rental.
“Saan ba sa Ipra nakasaad na dapat ay P2.5 million ang unang ibayad ng may-ari ng resort para makapagtayo siya ng kanyang negosyo at magbibigay pa sya ng taunang bayad na P500,000 at dalawang porsyento ng gross sales? Gross yan ha, hindi net (Where in Ipra is it stated that an amount of P2.5 million must be paid as initial instalment from the owner of the resort who wanted to establish a business and then give an annual P500,000 plus two percent of gross sales. That’s gross not net),” he said.
Where is NCIP?
Matta reiterated the importance to aid business growth in the area as these additional assets help employ both IPs and non-IPs.
“At present, almost all the big businesses in the area are creating jobs for our constituents, including, and most especially, the indigenous people. With what they earn, they are able to send their children to school, build better houses and live more comfortably,” he said.
Matta asked on the role that the NCIP has already played for uplifting the lives of the IPs, which is the law mandated the institution to provide.
“Ang NCIP ba, ano na ang nagawa? May isa silang pinapatakbo, yung Coron island. Pero ilan ba ang nakikinabang dyan at mabubuksan ba nila ang libro ng kinikita nito? (What has the NCIP done? They’ve been running Coron Island but how many have benefitted? Could they open the books and show how much it has earned?) Ask them,” Matta said.
Pandora’s box in Coron
In the same media forum, a unified call was made by the representatives of the Municipality of Coron and of the investors in the island to both Houses of Congress to look deeply into the Ipra law and investigate on some untoward incidents in the Coron.
“Sana po ay mabigyan ng panahon ng mga mambabatas natin na tingnan muli ang batas na Ipra. Kung posible, para sa akin, dapat imbestigahan pa nga ang nangyayari sa amin ng Kamara at Senado. Nakahanda kaming magsalita kung mabibigyan lang ng pagkakataon para ilabas ang lahat ng mga nalalaman naming hindi magandang nangyayari sa lugar (We hope they could give time to our lawmakers to look into the Ipra law. If possible, for me, the House and Senate should investigate what’s happening to us. We’re ready to talk if we’re given the chance to speak out what we know, the bad things happening in our place). I tell you, this is a Pandora’s box,” Matta said.
They even pointed out that investors committing to put in their money in the area are driven away and progress kept at a snail pace as existing and incoming businesses are left to deal with cases in connection with the implementation of Ipra.
Dr. Sacay called for the repeal of the Ipra law and the abolition of the NCIP.
“If the Ipra is not repealed and the NCIP not abolished, I would not invest in Coron. Both the law (Ipra) and the institution (NCIP) are now creating an environment that is not conducive for economic growth in the municipality as investors are now afraid of being sued once they come in,” Sacay said.
Sacay added that Ipra is giving too much power to the NCIP.
“NCIP, as a quasi-judicial body is at the liberty to file a complaint, hear the case, and at the same time render the verdict. Where is justice there and what else can they do as they continue to hide behind the law?”
NCIP is under the Office of the President.
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