14/01/2026
DEFEND ANCESTRAL LANDS! DEFEND MINDORO! DEFEND THE MANGYAN-IRAYA!
Stand with the Mangyan-Iraya against militarization and landgrabbing!
The Sanggunian Commission of Ateneans on Indigenous Peoples (CAIP) strongly condemns the state violence unleashed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines on indigenous Mangyan-Iraya communities in Brgy. Cabacao last January 1, and expresses concern over their continuous violation of human rights and international humanitarian law in these communities.
On January 1, 2026, the AFP claimed the lives of 3 indigenous Mangyan-Iraya children and 2 student researchers after a series of military operations in Brgy. Cabacao, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro. These military operations were under the pretense of an encounter with the New Peopleโs Army (NPA), but disproportionate force and indiscriminate aerial bombing, strafing, and gunfire led to the deaths of these 5 civilians. Furthermore, the livelihood of the Mangyan-Iraya were severely damaged and interrupted, with the deaths of livestock and the evacuation of over 750 into the nearby high school.
The attacks in Abra de Ilog on New Yearโs Day add to the long list of human rights violations committed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against indigenous Mangyan communities across Mindoro. Indigenous civilians have borne the brunt of AFPโs violence as arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and other forms of abuse in Mindoro have steadily intensified since 2022. From January to November 2025 alone, human rights groups documented 119 cases of human rights violations in Mindoro, affecting an estimated 16,733 victims and pointing to a systematic campaign of repression.
Throughout the year, the Mangyan-Iraya have been faced with various forms of military violence meant to intimidate, harass, and take civilian lives. In February and March 2025, helicopter gunships of the AFP similarly carried out aerial strafing in Pola and Mansalay. In addition, on December 2, 47-year-old Mangyan-Iraya farmer Dolores Solangon was abducted, tortured, and interrogated by members of the AFP. Furthermore, on December 23, environmental and human rights advocate Ramon Alcantara was abducted after authorities attempted to link him to an armed encounter with the New Peopleโs Army (NPA), despite the absence of credible evidence.
Moreover, the de facto martial law in the region and the resulting suppression of resistance have been wielded to serve the interests of private corporations and has facilitated the exploitation of indigenous territory and resources. Mining and development companies, such as Pieceland Corporation in 2024, have forcibly claimed and fenced off Mangyan-Iraya ancestral lands. โGreen energyโ and ecotourism projects also continue to encroach on indigenous communities in Abra de Ilog. Since then, Pieceland and other corporations have deprived residents of access to their homes and farmlands through a persistent campaign of harassment and intimidation, and have employed abuses such as death threats, the slaughter of livestock, food blockades, indiscriminate gunfire, and sexual harassment. These actions constitute not only a flagrant violation of the Indigenous Peoplesโ Rights Act (1997) and IHL but also a deliberate strategy, aided by militarization, to forcibly displace the Mangyan-Iraya from their ancestral lands.
The Sanggunian Commission of Ateneans for Indigenous Peoples vehemently condemns the use of disproportionate force by the AFP, which caused the death of 3 Mangyan-Iraya children and 2 students conducting research on IP communities in Abra de Ilog, as well as costing the security and livelihood of hundreds in the area. Despite claiming to uphold the peace and security of local communities, the militaryโs indiscriminate bombings and live fire show otherwise; such violence does nothing to relieve the plight of the indigenous Mangyan-Iraya who face landgrabbing and militarization at the hands of Pieceland and other corporations.
We advocate for the respect of indigenous rights and international humanitarian law in Abra de Ilog in order to create conditions for justice and lasting peace in the area. Thus, we call for an independent investigation and humanitarian mission that will look into the welfare and security of the Mangyan-Iraya community. Such an investigation is one immediate step towards the long-term defense of the land, livelihood, and dignity of the indigenous Mangyan throughout all of Mindoro, as well as the struggles of indigenous peoples throughout the nation, who face the same threat of militarization, displacement, and landgrabbing. We also call on fellow Ateneans to stand in solidarity with the Mangyan-Iraya of Mindoro, as well as all other indigenous communities in the Philippines embroiled in the struggle for their ancestral lands.
Justice for the victims of the Cabacao massacre! Uphold the human rights of the Mangyan-Iraya! Defend ancestral lands, defend Mindoro!
References:
Bulatlat. (January 6, 2026). Philippine military kicks off year with terror campaign in Mindoro, kills 4, injures 1. via https://www.bulatlat.com/2026/01/06/philippine-military-kicks-off-year-with-terror-campaign-in-mindoro-kills-5/
Defend Mindoro, via https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Nox6aarY8/
KASAMA Timog Katagalugan, via https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16CUQrJDoA/
Mangyan-Iraya Repungpungan sa Malatabako, via https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17yxx9iBHj/
International Commission for Human Rights in the Philippines (January 5, 2026). Condemn Massacre of Three Children and Two Youth in Mindoro Bombings. via https://ichrp.net/condemn-massacre-of-three-children-and-two-youth-in-mindoro-bombings/
