THE National Commission of Indigenous People- Davao Region (NCIP-Davao) plans to put up checkpoints in Marilog, Davao City in a bid to prevent the buying and selling of ancestral domains in the area.
“It has been raised na magkaroon ng mga checkpoints na ang magmando is mga bahani sa tribo (that we will have checkpoints that will be managed by the bahani of the tribe),” Atty. Ronnie Bulotano, NCIP-Davao Provincial Officer, said during the AFP-PNP Press Conference.
Bulotano said they still have to polish the plan with the security cluster since the 27th IB, PNP, and PCC have several concerns.
“Magbutang mi og guidelines kung paunsa ang operation sa checkpoint nga i-monitor ng bahani ng Matigsalug (We will provide guidelines on how the operation of the checkpoint will be monitored by the Matigsalug Bahani),” Bulotano said.
He said that the tribes are allowed to regulate migrant settlers but they are not allowed to regulate public roads in line with the IP Rights Act (IPRA) an Act to Recognize, Protect And Promote the Rights Of Indigenous Cultural Communities or Indigenous Peoples, Creating a National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Establishing Implementing Mechanisms, Appropriating Funds Therefor, And For Other Purposes.
“Majority man gud sa mga ginasulod dito is naa naman gud mga kalsada (of the areas that are being visited are along the main roads), kung footway pwede nato ma-regulate ang entry (if it can only be accessed by a footway, they can regulate it) but kung public highway, provincial road, city road, national road, dili man gud basta basta maka-put-up og checkpoint without proper coordination with the security cluster and our government (if it is not easy to put up a checkpoint alonf the public highway, provincial road, city road, national road),” Bulotano said.
Bulotano said an update will be given once they will be able to finalize the plan. KSD