SOME 120 marchers composed of the Agta tribe together with church leaders and farmers trooped to the Supreme Court compound here Wednesday morning asking for the high court’s ruling on the legality of the creation of the Aurora-Pacific Economic Freeport Zone (Apeco).
The group aired their growing unrest after a dialogue with President Benigno Aquino III has not resolved their issues with Apeco while a case they filed questioning the legality of the freeport zone is still pending before the SC.
Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te met with representatives of the marchers and assured the High Court will be discussing the issue.
Meanwhile, the group claimed that after four months since the dialogue, they have not been given a clear solution and a growing unrest continues among the more than 3,000 families affected.
The marchers are scheduled to march to Manila stopping in various areas that include Baler, Baguio, San Jose City, Pampanga and Bulacan before finally heading to Manila to continue their march and share their stories of alleged continued land conversion and illegal logging in their communities.
The group also held a symposium in the city and was joined by Diocese of Baguio Bishop Carlito Cenzon.
The group said they will remain in Manila until the promises of Aquino in the distribution of land titles and the resolution of their case against Apeco particularly on some issues on the creation of the economic zone will be resolved.
Last year, the marchers also endured a 370-kilometer march hitting the Aurora economic zone’s alleged continued destruction of their farms and fishing areas while rights of indigenous groups such as the Agta tribe are allegedly disregarded by Apeco.