By Jhelyn G. Andal

 

Brooke’s Point Federation of Tribal Councils (BROFETRICS), a pro-mining group of indigenous people in Brooke’s Point, Palawan, made a manifesto requesting the Provincial Government and Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn to consider the group’s support to mining activities in the municipality. The manifesto was submitted July 16, Wednesday, one day before a scheduled anti-mining rally in Brooke’s Point.

 

BROFETRICS reiterates in the manifesto that mining is the only way for IPs to prosper.

 

“Magkakaroon bukas ng anti-mining rally sa Brooke’s Point. Pumunta kami dito sa Puerto Princesa dahil napag-alaman namin na darating daw si Mayor Hagedorn para magsalita sa anti-mining rally bukas,” BROFETRICS President Renila Dulay said when asked why Hagedorn was included in the request.

 

“Siyempre pumunta po kami dito para bago siya pumunta bukas doon, maiparating din po namin ang aming saloobin bilang pro-mining group,” Dulay added.

 

According to Brooke’s Point Vice-Mayor Mary Jean Feliciano, Hagedorn said that if he were invited earlier, he would have joined the rally.

 

The group’s legitimacy, however, was questioned after Department of Environment and Natural Resources Usec. Manuel Gerochi, in a PCSD meeting, said that BROFETRICS was a fake group. But Dulay assured that BROFETRICS is legal and was registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Brgy. Chairman Quirino Tanogan of Saraza in Brooke’s Point, also the president of Koalisyon ng Panglima, a group of tribal chieftains, said that BROFETRICS leaders and members are not genuine IPs.

 

“I can prove that even with my eyes closed. My colleagues also know that. We are the legitimate IPs and we were not from any other municipality,” Tanogan related.

 

Tanogan also cleared the allegations that anti-mining IPs were being paid to join rallies.

 

“Baliktad po. Sila ang nababayaran kasi sila ang may pera; pera ng pagmimina,” he said.

 

According to him, there was an instance when one tribe member attested that they were really paid to join BROFETRICS activities.

 

“Tinatanong namin sila kung bakit sila sumama sa martsa ng grupo noon na payagan ang pagmimina. Sabi nila ‘kailangan namin ng pera. Binabayaran kami pero ang totoo, ayaw namin sa mina’,” Tanogan told Palawan Sun.

 

Feliciano said that there was a sworn statement saying that all of those who joined BROFETRICS’ march were paid.

 

“Marami silang maling ginagawa. There was a sworn statement saying that those who joined the group were paid from P300-500. They even gave free gasoline for tricycles that’s why they were able to draw a large number of participants,” the vice-mayor related.

 

“They were saying that they have 8,000 members, which the Koalisyon ng Panglima saw that the signatures were not really from the IPs. The Agutaynens and Cuyunens do not have ancestral domain here in Brooke’s Point but in Agutaya or Cuyo,” Feliciano added.