Karapatan strongly condemned the Pieceland Corporation for the demolition and forced eviction of the Mangyan-Iraya in Sitio Malatabako, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro on June 1. The remaining 14 houses were reportedly dismantled and destroyed.

“We condemn Pieceland for intimidation, deprivation of livelihood, threats, and other coercive forms to drive the people away from their land. We are also outraged by the disrespect for indigenous peoples, who themselves said they were not consulted. From the very beginning, they have the right to stay on the land their community has cultivated for decades,” KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay said.

“They took the pump that we use for water. They told us to leave, then just threw our belongings onto the road,” Sitio Malatabako resident Nanay Tessie said.

According to Karapatan, the situation of the Mangyan-Iraya is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of land grabbing, forced eviction, and attacks on indigenous communities across the country. The group has repeatedly expressed concern over the rising number of demolitions in urban poor communities and in the countryside.

The community has endured crop destruction, livelihood obstruction, intimidation, and forced eviction for nearly two years. There are also cases of arbitrary arrest, torture, and detention, including the arrest of the “Iraya 32,” nearly half of whom are minors.

Residents also reported that the military and police repeatedly called them “outsiders” to weaken their claim to ancestral land despite having long lived in Sitio Malatabako. Many residents struggled to find work after being driven away from their farms and homes. According to residents, when employers learn they are from Sitio Malatabako, they are often rejected or dismissed.

Instead of addressing the forced eviction and demolition, the state uses red-tagging to malign organizations such as Defend Mindoro and Mindoro Youth for Environment and Nation that support the Mangyan-Iraya. The NTF-ELCAC also conducts disinformation and attacks against leaders and land defenders, including Noli Tamisan, a Mangyan-Iraya.

“Using widespread military deployment, red-tagging, arbitrary arrest, torture, and other attacks, they seek to create a climate of fear and repression to force communities to accept the entry of corporations and the seizure of ancestral land and natural resources. Land is life for indigenous peoples. They have reason to resist,” Palabay explained.

Indigenous peoples and residents of Sitio Malatabako call for the immediate halt to the destruction of their homes and the forced eviction of indigenous families. They also demand the immediate removal of Pieceland Corporation from the ancestral land of the Mangyan-Iraya. Protect and recognize the Mangyan-Iraya’s right to their ancestral land.