Defending indigenous land rights in the Philippines

DefendingindigenouslandrightsinthePhilippines:humanrights

perspec6vesondichotomy,iden6tyandconsent

MarcTitusD.CebrerosLLMHumanRights

QueenMaryUniversityofLondon

Outline“Affirmingthat

indigenouspeoplesareequaltoallother

peoples,whilerecognizingtherightofallpeoplestobe

different,toconsiderthemselvesdifferent,

andtoberespectedassuch…”

-Preamble,UNDRIP

•  Context—legal,historical,social

•  Storiesofconflictandresistance•  Dichotomy•  Consent•  IdenFty

•  Prospectsforindigenouspeoplesrights

Social,legalandhistoricalcontext

•  Indigeneityas“contextratherthan[legal]abstracFon”(Anaya)– complexofchronological,relaFonal,subjecFveandnormaFvefactors(ImaiandGunn)

–  idealizedas“specialconnecFontoland”

Social,legalandhistoricalcontext

Factor Examples

Chronological •  Pre-HispaniccommuniFes•  SpanishreduccionandlandFtling(MauraLaw)policy•  AmericanreservaFonpolicy(s.2145,AdministraFveCode1917)

RelaFonal •  “uplanders”/“mountaintribes”/“pacified”tribes•  “non-ChrisFan”asdegreeofcivilizaFon(Rubiv.ProvincialBoard,

1919)•  Ethno-linguisFcgroups

SubjecFve

•  PANAMINandthediscoveryofstoneage“Tasaday”(1971)•  “Northern”and“southern”culturalcommuniFes•  Katutuboortheconceptofindigeneity

NormaFve •  NaFveFtle(Carinov.InsularGovernment,1909)cf.juraregalia(RegalianDoctrine)

•  ConsFtuFonalrecogniFon•  IndigenousPeoplesRightsAct1997•  MiningAct,EIASystemDecree&RegulaFons,LocalGovernment

Code

DichotomiesState MNEs IndigenousPeoples

StatusunderinternaFonallaw

Sovereign,directsubject Non-sovereign,towardsbecomingdirectsubjects(privaFzaFonofsovereignfuncFons

Non-sovereign,indirectobject

LandrightsunderconsFtuFonallaw

Sovereignownership(publicdomain)

Contractualpossessor(publicdomain,privatelands)

Privateownership(ancestraldomainsandlands)

Sub-surfacerightsindomesFclaw

Sovereignownership(mineralsandothernaturalresources)

Servicecontracts(“withsafeguards”)forlarge-scaleexploraFon,developmentanduFlizaFonprojects

Priorityrights,Free,priorandinformedconsent(FPIC)procedure

RegulatoryrelaFonshipwithlocalgovernments

PresidenFalsupervision/subordinatelegislaFvepower/judicialreview

SubjecttolocalconsultaFon,endorsementandapproval

ParFcipaFonandrepresentaFonrights,VerFcalintegraFonofdevelopmentplans

TampakanMiningProjectSitesofconflict Indigenouspeoplesresponses

•  NaFonalgovernment•  SupremeCourt•  DepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResources•  NaFonalCommissiononIndigenousPeoples•  Securitysector

•  LiFgatedconsFtuFonalityofFTAA•  CampaignedagainstEIA•  DenouncedNCIPbiases•  ProtestedmilitarizaFonandhamletpolicy•  ComplaintfiledwithNHRI•  ResortedtoUNmechanisms

•  Localgovernment•  ProvincialgovernmentofCotabato•  AffectedmunicipaliFes

•  Supportedenvironmentalcode

•  Projectproponent •  RangesfromcollaboraFontopassivetoacFve/armedresistance

•  Civilsociety•  Pro-mining•  AnF-mining•  Fence-sieers

•  PartneredwithR.C.C.,localandnaFonalNGOs,internaFonalsolidaritynetwork

•  Internal •  StrengtheningofindigenouspoliFcalandgovernancestructure

•  Humanrights-basedapproachcapacitybuilding•  ConflictresoluFonstrategies

TampakanMiningProject

ConsentState IndigenousPeoples

NatureofconsentobligaFonunderinternaFonallaw

LimitedrecogniFon,merelyprocedural(“akintobutlessthanconsent/veto”)

NatureofconsentunderdomesFclaw

Vague:•  Const.–notaveto•  Regulatory–a

bureaucraFcrequirement(potenFalveto)

•  LimitedunderstandingofnatureofFPIC

•  Consentalwaysgiven

•  QuesFonablequalityofprocesses

Scopeofconsentrequirement

Land(entry,possession,exploraFon,developmentetc.)butnotsub-surfacemineralsandother

naturalresources

Validityofconsentgiven

Irrevocableoncegiven,butrequiredateverystageintheprojectlifecycle

APECOProject

•  AuroraSpecialEconomicZoneAct(2007)andamendatorylaw(2010)passedwithoutFPICofaffectedDumagatcommuniFes

“States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoplesconcerned through their own representaFve insFtuFons in order to obtain theirfree,priorand informedconsentbeforeadopFngand implemenFnglegislaFveoradministraFve measures that may affect them.” - ArFcle 19, UNDRIP

APECOProject

IdenFtyInterna6onalLaw Na6onalLaw

“IndigenouspeoplesandindividualshavetherighttobelongtoanindigenouscommunityornaFon,inaccordancewiththetradiFonsandcustomsofthecommunityornaFonconcerned.”–ArFcle9,IPRA

“…agroupofpeopleorhomogenoussocieFesidenFfiedbyself-ascripFonandascripFonbyothers,whohaveconFnuouslylivedasorganizedcommunityoncommunallyboundedanddefinedterritory,andwhohave,underclaimsofownershipsinceFmeimmemorial,occupied,possessedanduFlizedsuchterritories,sharingcommonbondsoflanguage,customs,tradiFonsandotherdisFncFveculturaltraits,orwhohave,throughresistancetopoliFcal,socialandculturalinroadsofcolonizaFon,non-indigenousreligionsandcultures,becamehistoricallydifferenFatedfromthemajorityofFilipinos.ICCs/IPsshalllikewiseincludepeopleswhoareregardedasindigenousonaccountoftheirdescentfromthepopulaFonswhichinhabitedthecountry,attheFmeofconquestorcolonizaFon,orattheFmeofinroadsofnon-indigenousreligionsandcultures,ortheestablishmentofpresentstateboundaries,whoretainsomeoralloftheirownsocial,economic,culturalandpoliFcalinsFtuFons,butwhomayhavebeendisplacedfromtheirtradiFonaldomainsorwhomayhavereseeledoutsidetheirancestraldomains;”

-SecFon3(h),IPRA

OceanaGoldProject

•  In2008,Australian-ledminingcompany,OceanaGoldPhilippinesInc.,forciblyandviolentlyevicted,withpoliceassistance,thousandsofIfugaowhohaveseeledwithintheFTAAareainthe1950saoerfleeingtheirformerhomelandwhichhadbeensubmergedbytheAmbuklaoDamproject.

OceanaGoldProject

“FTAAgrantsuntoitsholdertheState’sblessingstoundertakeminingandotherextracFveventures…itisnotacarteblancheforthewholesaledenigraFonoftherightsofpeoplewhostandtobeaffectedbysaidundertakings.”

-InRe:DisplacementofResidentsofKasibuNuevaViscaya,CHRH-2008-0055

Quovadis?

•  Uneven–andooendeadly–playingfieldbetweenMNEsandindigenouscommuniFes.

•  Free,priorandinformedconsentinherentlyvagueandmalleable.

•  IndigenousidenFty:bloodorexperience?

THANKYOU.mtcebreros@gmail.com/07401601874

”If,inatacitway,itwasassumedthatthewildtribesofthePhilippinesweretobedealtwithasthepowerandinclinaFonoftheconquerormightdictate,CongresshasnotyetsancFonedthesamecourseastheproperone‘forthebenefitoftheinhabitantsthereof.’”

-JusFceOliverWendellHolmes,Jr.,Carinovs.InsularGovernment