KASAMA-TK condemns arrests and harassment of Iraya Mangyan in Occidental Mindoro amid decades-long agrarian dispute
The Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama – TK) strongly denounces the recent illegal arrests and ongoing harassment of 29 Iraya Mangyan farmers and their families in Hacienda Almeda in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental. This recent development escalates the decades-long conflict between the Almeda family and the Iraya Mangyan indigenous tribe, who have long been asserting their rightful ownership and stewardship of the land.
On October 18, 2024, at least 29 Iraya Mangyan residents, including 17 elderly individuals and 12 minors, were illegally detained by seven private goons and four members of the Police Regional Mobile Group. Witnesses reported that the victims were forcibly taken, and their families have since lost contact with them, suspecting that their mobile phones were confiscated upon detention.
“The Iraya Mangyan are facing grave injustice. These arrests are part of a systematic attack on their right to their ancestral lands, using private goons and state forces to intimidate and displace them,” according to Jeverlyn Seguin, spokesperson of KASAMA-TK, KMP’s regional chapter. “It is clear that the Almeda family, with the backing of local officials and the inaction of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), is determined to continue their land grabbing and dispossession of indigenous people.”
Historical context of the agrarian dispute
The conflict between the land grabber Almeda family and farmers and residents of Hacienda Almeda dates back to the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in 1988. The disputed lands, spanning approximately 1,546 hectares in the municipalities of Mamburao and Abra de Ilog, were placed under agrarian reform coverage due to their agricultural use. However, Almeda, Inc. persistently claimed the lands were pasture areas for cattle raising and should be exempt from CARL. Despite these assertions, multiple ocular inspections conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) then confirmed that the lands had been repurposed for agriculture, with rice, banana, and mongo crops growing on the property.
In a 1992 decision, DAR ordered the inclusion of Almeda’s landholdings under CARP, citing the findings that the area was primarily used for farming. Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) were subsequently issued to 58 farmer-beneficiaries, including the Iraya Mangyan tribe. Despite this ruling, the Almeda family has continuously contested the decision, filing several motions for reconsideration over the years, which were repeatedly denied.
“Despite multiple rulings in favor of the farmers and the Iraya Mangyan, the Almeda family continues to exploit loopholes in the bogus and failed CARP to delay and obstruct the redistribution of land. They have gone as far as to mobilize private armed groups to terrorize the indigenous community,” Jeverlyn Seguin, spokesperson for KASAMA-TK said as she lambasted the notorious Almeda family and their private goons.
In 2017, tensions escalated when around 100 police officers and private guards stormed the peasants’ camp in Barangay 9, Payompon, Mamburao. They demolished 20 makeshift houses belonging to the farmers and indigenous people asserting their rights over the land. The community members, who had successfully cleared and tilled 5 hectares of land, were forcibly evicted, leaving them displaced and unable to continue farming.
“The DAR, NCIP and local authorities failed to address the Iraya Mangyan’s claims. Instead, they are met with delays, harassment, and violence. This is a clear betrayal of the indigenous people’s rights to their ancestral domain,” Seguin added.
In addition to the latest illegal arrests, the Iraya Mangyan community continues to face various forms of human rights violations. Reports from local groups and residents indicate a food blockade imposed on the community, with private goons confiscating livestock and crops. Farmers have also experienced daily gunfire, intimidation, and harassment, particularly targeting women and children.
The timing of the arrests—just days after Tribal Sunday (October 13) and the upcoming October 21 nationally-coordinated peasant-led protests—raises suspicions of a coordinated effort to suppress the resistance of the indigenous people and farmers.
“We are calling on all sectors, organizations, and government officials to intervene in this situation before it escalates further. The Iraya Mangyan must be granted their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) and their lands must be protected from land grabbing and violence,” Seguin stated.
KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos is calling for urgent action from various sectors to intervene. He emphasized the importance of national solidarity. “We are urging all sectors to stand with the Iraya Mangyan in their struggle to reclaim their ancestral lands. This is not just a local issue; it’s a national issue of land reform and justice. We demand the immediate release of those wrongfully arrested, the cessation of all forms of harassment, and the full recognition of the Iraya Mangyan’s ancestral domain.”
KASAMA-TK vows to stand with the Iraya Mangyan and all marginalized communities in their struggle for land and justice. ###
updates from the peasant movement of the Philippines 