The arrest order for Gen. Jovito Palparan is a long delayed action of government. He should be arrested and detained with dispatch. The PNP manhunt should continue despite his surrender feelers and the surrender of his cohorts. The government should not also give him any special treatment and privilege.

Like his former boss – Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – they should spend Christmas in jail and serve the full extent of the penalty attached to the grave crimes they have committed. His arrest, detention and speedily brought to justice is a small gift that PNoy can give to his victims this Yuletide. Read more »

The indigenous people have nothing to celebrate in today's commemoration of the 63rd anniversary of the International Human Rights Day. We have all the reasons to be in rage with the current administration. More than one year of President Aquino's presidency, there is no significant change in the condition of the indigenous people's human rights. The climate of impunity that reigned during the Arroyo administration continues. Read more »

KATRIBU Partylist, an indigenous peoples (IP) sectoral party challenged the new Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa as oversight cabinet secretary of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), to sincerely uphold IPs rights.More specifically, he can expedite the implementation of the Indigenous People Agenda, crafted by the different IP organizations and submitted to Malacanang last August 2010. Read more »

Indigenous people condemns in the highest form the brutal killing of Father Fausto Tentorio, an Italian priest. This heinous crime is clear cut assault on the human rights not only the priests who genuinely serve the masses but also of the indigenous people.

Fr. Tentorio also known as Fr. Pops is not only a simple priest who performs his vocation to serve God. He is also staunch advocate of the indigenous people rights. Since 1985, Fr. Tentorio has been helping the indigenous Lumad through various programs in education, livelihood and agriculture. He also actively campaigns for depending the nation patrimony against foreign plunderer despite him coming from a foreign land. In gratitude to his advocacy in promoting IP human rights, Lumad in North Cotabato have protected Fr. Pops when the members of the paramilitary group once tried to abduct him. Read more »

It is a great tragedy and irony that during the indigenous peoples month of October, a great advocate of the Lumads has been ruthlessly shot and killed.

Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME, Italian priest and missionary to the lumad tribes of Arakan Valley, died of multiple gunshot wounds this morning, October 17, as he was preparing to go to a clergy meeting in Kidapawan City. Initial reports of his death said the assailant is a helmet-wearing, motorcycle-riding gunman, typical of the military death squads that tainted the Arroyo regime. Read more »

Misamis Oriental- A indigenous community organization is under threat for resisting land grabbing carried out by a giant palm oil company, A. Brown, in Opol, Misamis Oriental, Philippines.

The organization, Pangalasag (literally means 'indigenous shield'), is objecting the entry of A. Brown Company which will replace their farms, planted with banana, coconut and other crops, with palm oil. The farmers, who are from Higaonon tribe of the Mindanao Lumads (indigenous peoples), demand for the withdrawal of the project which did not even secure their Free, Prior and Informed Consent. Read more »