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Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN Offends Indigenous Peoples

Geneva, Switzerland -Representatives of indigenous peoples, organizations and support groups paid a visit to the Philippine Ambassador and the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations here in Geneva, on Thursday, August 13, 2009.It was a courtesy call turned sour when the Mr. Dennis Lipatan of the Permanent Mission flared up in the middle of discussions and with a raging voice and trembling fingers, pointed at one of the representative of the support group, shouting “Do you even know what is FPIC?Do you even know what is ancestral domain?”He then stood up and left the meeting room.

FPIC is free, prior and informed consent which is the right exercised by indigenous peoples and communities before any projects or polices directly or indirectly affecting them, be launched in their territories.Mr. Lipatan directed his outburst to Mr. Cathal Doyle of the Irish Human Rights Center who is doing his doctorate on FPIC.Mr. Doyle has been in the Philippines in the past years traveling to more than twenty (20) indigenous communities to conduct interviews and researches.He also had the several meetings with officials of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and numerous discussions with support groups and non-government organization (NGO) in the Philippines.

Mr. Lipatan’s outburst was brought about by the discussion on the issue of the indigenous peoples now living in Didipio, Nueva Vizcaya.Mr. Lipatan insisted that no FPIC is required if the mining companies would want to mine in Didipio because the residents are migrants and they have individual tax declarations.He argues that the mining companies only need to ask for the agreement of individual owners of the lands.Mr. Doyle started to explain that the new guidelines of NCIP states that FPIC is required whenever indigenous peoples are directly or indirectly affected by any development project.Mr. Lipatan however cut Mr. Doyle with his outburst.

Mr. Peter Duyapat, an indigenous elder from Didipio who was present during the meeting, compared the meeting to that of their numerous confrontations with NCIP officials in the Philippines who are so antagonistic to indigenous peoples’ rights.Mr. Duyapat patiently relayed the situation of their community to Ambassador Erlinda Basilio and the members of the Permanent Mission only to be told that they have no right to FPIC.Mr. Lipatan even accused the group of complicating a very simple problem.

Ms. Robie Halip of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) also commented that her group agreed to meet with the Permanent Mission to give their respect to the Ambassador and the members of the mission and not to squabble with them because there is no intention to come into agreement on issues raised by indigenous peoples.

The indigenous elders and NGOs were further disheartened when Ambassador Basilio repeatedly stated that “all of us (Filipinos) are indigenous peoples”.This statement of the Ambassador mirrors the alarming inadequacy of awareness of even high government officials on the concept of indigenous peoples.

UN CERD

The group consisting of indigenous peoples’ representatives, NGOs and support groups, are in Geneva to present a Shadow Report which they submitted to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).The Philippines ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and is required to submit a periodic report every four years, to the CERD.However, it only submitted a report once in 1997 until the CERD called its attention on its failure to submit thus on June 30, 2008, the Philippines submitted its country report.

If the State Report does not reflect actual situations, civil society can also submit their own report which they usually call the Shadow Report, to counter allegations of the government in their State Report. In June 2009, a Shadow Report focusing on the rights of indigenous peoples was submitted to the ICERD.

In the August 2009 CERD sessions, the Philippines will be under review.Civil society will have one hour on August 18, 2009 to present their report and recommendations to the committee.The groups from indigenous communities and NGOs is composed of Peter Duyapat from Didipio, Nueva Vizcaya, Timauy Jose Anoy and Timuay Noval Lambo from Sibugay, Zamboanga, Mary Ann Manja Bayang of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Monitor, Ann Rhia Muhi from the Legal Rights Center, and from the Indigenous Peoples Links are Geoffrey Nettleton, Lodel Magbanua and Andy Whitmore.They are joined by Cathal Doyle from the Irish Human Rights Center.

Filed under: Human Rights Work and tagged Ambassador Basilio, Indigenous Peoples, Manja, UN