QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya: The indigenous peoples (IPs) in this town were outraged by the purported claim of FCF Minerals Development Corp. that the proliferation of squatters in its exploration site has caused them to lose over P6 million.

A member of an IP group, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said that the company should be blamed for its refusal to respect the IPs rights over their ancestral domain.

The source also pointed out that they are not squatters as alleged by the company, because they are living in their ancestral domain that they had inherited from their forefathers.

While it is true that there was a certificate of non-overlap (CNO) that was issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples over the area where the company intends to conduct mining exploration, the source clarified that the provisions of the

CNO are very clear that when it will be found out that the area to be explored is within the ancestral domain of IPs, then it will be mandatory for the company to comply with the requirement of free and prior informed consent (FPIC) before pursuing with the proposed mining exploration.

Another anonymous source criticized the mining company for trying to sow fear in their proposed exploration sites by bringing in the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army to serve as its security and prevent IPs from protesting the company’s forcible intrusion over their private properties without the completion of mandated negotiations between the parties.

According to them, IPs are simply asserting their rights over their ancestral domain because they value the importance of the land that they inherited from their ancestors. The same land will then be passed on to the upcoming generations.

The source explained that it is very clear in the provisions of Republic Act 8371, or the “Indigenous Peoples Rights Act,” that when the area to be developed by companies falls within the ancestral domain of IPs, it is mandatory for the proponents to secure the consent of the inhabitants through the prescribed guidelines governing the conduct of the FPIC.

Earlier, the provincial government, through the provincial legal office, reiterated to FCF Minerals Development Corp. that it should respect the status quo order in the proposed exploration site in Barangay Ronrono until such time that negotiations between the company and the affected IP group have begun.

The source claimed that the company should not have incurred such losses as being reported if their officers were sincere in negotiating with the IPs and not to resort to harassing and intimidating the indigenous tribes with the expectation that the ethnic group will simply give up their rights over their properties.