By Jhelyn G. Andal

 

Controversy over allegations of mismanagement of the mining royalty share by leaders of an indigenous community in Quezon, Palawan has prompted concerns from the provincial board.

 

Some members of the Berong Aramaywan Tagbanua Association (BATA), a group of some 1,000 IPs who are beneficiaries of the royalty share paid by the Berong Nickel Corporation has complained to the board about the alleged irregularities in the disbursement of the funds. A BNC document furnished to the Board indicated that the royalty share has reached P11, 399, 374.36 but Vice-Gov. David Ponce de Leon, however, corrected that the group was already given over P15 M which allegedly now has only P5 M left.

 

According to him, reports had reached them that BATA’s tribal leaders purchased 14,000 coconut seedlings from Zamboanga worth P65 each. The leaders also allegedly withdrew P400, 000 from the fund when they went to Manila without the other members knowing.

 

“The two-storey tribal hall is the only project seen from the royalty share. It was not even worth P2 M,” Ponce De Leon said.

 

 

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the agency assigned to formulate and implement programs and projects for the development of the IPs, will request to freeze the account of BATA deposited at Palawan Development Bank in Quezon after various complaints from other tribe members arose.

 

The Provincial Board does not know the details on how the money was being spent or who controls the fund.

 

“We don’t have control over their money nor do we ask them for a financial statement or disbursement of their one percent share. They don’t even carry out livelihood programs for themselves,” Board Member Leoncio Ola said. He added that members of the tribal group should participate actively regarding the royalty payment.

 

Ponce De Leon said that tribal leaders may be charged of estafa due to misappropriation of the money.

 

The Provincial Board plans to require the group to submit a liquidation of their expenditures which will include the receipts and other documents regarding their expenses. Some of them were also thinking of going to Quezon themselves to meet with the complaining IPs.

 

In a letter addressed to Board Member Vicky De Guzman last May, some members of BATA stated that their tribal leaders were the ones in-charge of the money. According to them, they were given only as little as P2, 000 each and were asked to sign a project proposal.