2005: SSAI Open Letter

SIOCON SUBANO ASSOCIATION INC. (SSAI)
Canatuan, Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte
February 20, 2005
OPEN LETTER
TO:
PHILIPPINE IP LINKS
CHRISTIAN AID
MINING WATCH CANADA
DCMI
TEBTEBBA
KAIROS CANADA
SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL
LRC – KSK
AND OTHER NGO’S SPEAKING AGAINST US WITHOUT SPEAKING TO US AND
WITHOUT DOING ANY GOOD FOR OUR PEOPLE
Dear Sirs:
I am Juanito Tumangkis, a pure blooded Subano, and since birth, 40 years
ago,
have stayed in Siocon, Zambaoanga del Norte. Together with my wife and
six children, I
am staying at Sitio Canatuan, Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. Also
my mother,
my four (4) brothers and two (2) sisters and their respective children
and hundreds of my
relatives live there.
I am the duly elected President of Siocon Subano Association Inc. (SSAI)
in the
election of October 10, 2004, pursuant to the mandate of the
Association’s by-laws that
calls for an annual election. I got 500 more votes than my opponent
Barangay Captain
Bonifacio Patoh. This is my second term because I was also elected as
President in the
election held on November 25, 2001. SSAI has members at the moment more than
2000. SSAI at present is the Administrator of the Certificate of
Ancestral Domain Title
(CADT) issued to all the Subanons of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.
I am also the Chairman of the 30 member Council of Elders of the Subanons of
Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, our policy making body.
I write to you on behalf of my people, men, women and children of
Subanons of
Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, approximately 6000 in number. The Subanons are
simple, peaceful and loving people whose dreams are for the development
of their
ancestral domain, employment and freedom from poverty, among others.
Specifically, we ask you the following:
• We ask you to stop telling lies to the world about us.
• We ask you to stop listening to those who say they represent us, but
do not.
• We ask you to stop sewing conflict and strife in our community.
• We ask you to stop using us for your personal gain.
• We ask you to leave us to decide what is best for us.
1. You spread lies to the world that we are blind supporters of TVI. We
are not.
Instead, we are partners of TVI in the development of our ancestral
domain. This
partnership was institutionalized by virtue of our Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) in
November 2003. We allow them to mine our natural resources on specific
conditions,
that it is in accordance with our mining laws and the Indigenous Peoples
Rights Act
(IPRA) RA 8371 in addition to priority of employment for our people,
payment of royalty
fee, livelihood projects, development our area, improvement of our
roads, among others.
Many of these have already been provided by TVI.
Also, you spread lies by quoting Mr. Anoy that TVI has desecrated our sacred
place. The MPSA area of TVI does not embrace any of the sacred places we
claim.
The nearest sacred place is located at Lumingin Area more than 5
kilometers away.
You should be informed that Boy Anoy and Onsino Mato while they were
President and
Secretary of SSAI, respectively, from 1993 to 2001 allowed 100 small
scale miners to
operate within the MPSA area of TVI. If indeed, they consider the MPSA
area as sacred.
then they should not have allowed these small scale miners to operate there.
I add that because of what they did the small scale miners used Subanon
children ages 7 to 14 and women to work in their cyanide mills and paid
them a pittance
such as 30, 40, or 50 pesos per sack, and worst, they were paid
depending on the grade
of the gold and not based on the weight of the sack or distance from
where they carried
the ore.
The two (2) did not mind that the small scale miners whose operations were
illegal dumped their toxic wastes at Canatuan Creek killing the fish and
snails that we
used to get for our daily food. Also they cut our trees to construct
their illegal plants and
houses.
Also, you spread lies by stating that TVI does not have the support of
the Subano
community. Had you asked the real Subanons residing at Canatuan and
neighboring
areas, you would have known the truth. For the record, SSAI with more
than 2000
members, all Subanons, had expressly supported TVI’s operation. I recall
that in
October, 2001, the Board of Trustees of SSAI signed a MOU with TVI. On
October 15,
2002, the Subanon Council of Elders passed and adopted a Resolution
allowing TVI to
mine “open pit” within their MPSA area. Boy Anoy and Onsino Mato in fact
attended and
participated in the deliberation of the said resolution. Finally, in
November 2003, SSAI
and the Council of Elders signed with TVI a MOA.
Finally, you spread lies that TVI is evicting 86 Subanon families. Not one
Subano is being evicted by TVI. I know for a fact that three (3)
separate letters of
demand for reasons of safety were sent to Spouses Emmanuel and Gaga Gonzaga,
Ireneo and Luciano Calibo and Josie Gonzaga. But above three (3)
families are not
Subanons. They are Bisayans from far away towns and part of those
remaining small
scale miners who squatted, ransacked and mined our ancestral domain
without our free
prior informed consent (FPIC).
To set the truth, on January 9, 2005, the non Subanons within the ancestral
domain were called to a meeting by the Council of Elders as regards the
status of their
stay within. Accordingly, their stay was without FPIC. Many of them
attended and they
asked clarificatory questions. They were told that SSAI, if they are
willing, will accept
them as privilege members thru the issuances of yellow IDs, and will
extend to them all
the rights enjoyed by the Subanons except the right to vote and be voted
as officers of
SSAI. Further, they will be relocated and allotted lots at Tanuman
Relocation site. The
Council of Elders after February 28, 2005, will convene should they fail
to submit their
intention to join, to act on their status. They were even told that even
if they will choose
to be members of SSAI, their individual claims with TVI still remain
until their resolutions.
The reason for said invitation is based on RA 8371, as the IP community
has the right to
regulate the entries and occupation of migrants and corporations. In
short, these non-
Subanons who were branded in foreign press as Subanons, were not
evicted. Instead,
they were invited to join SSAI to make their stay within the ancestral
domain as legal.
Except for Boy Anoy and Onsino Mato, those who are opposed to TVI operation
are remnants of small scale miners who are non Subanons. They are
opposed to TVI
because what they are trying to get into their pockets.
2. So that you will not spread lies, do not listen to the following:
1. Jose Boy Anoy, because:
1.1. He is no longer the President of SSAI effective November 26, 2001.
1.2. He is half Subano, the mother being an Ilocana
1.3. He is NOT a Timuay. His father, Lumuyod Anoy from whom he should
inherit the title, is not a Timuay.
1.4. The local NCIP representative, Ponciano Agbadan, who is a Subano and a
resident of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, had stated that Boy Anoy is
coming from the blood line of “Bulian” (Religious Leader).
1.5. He has lost his credibility among the Subanons for receiving monies
from
small miners. When Cayabyab, a small miner, gave him a house at
Canatuan, he moved in from Paduan in 2000. He acted as the small
miners liaison as he led the application with the MGB (Mines and
Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources DENR) to convert the area as peoples mining area for the
benefit of the illegal miners.
1.6. He does not stay at Canatuan, or Paduan, Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del
Norte, any more.
2. Onsino Mato because
1. He is not from Barangay Tabayo but from Candis, Siocon, Zamboanga del
Norte.
2. He has lost his credibility among the Subanons for receiving monies from
small miners, and he was suspected to be involved in the 2 ambushes in
2002 resulting to the death of 13 Subanons and injuries to many.
3. Timuay Noval Lambo, because:
1. He is not from Barangay Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, but from
Barangay Lintangan, Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, two (2) municipalities
away.
2. He has lost credibility as he allowed himself to be used by DCMI, an
antimining
NGO, and Philippine IP Links.
3. He has never consulted the Subano community of Siocon, particularly the
Council of Elders, of his plans and/or activities and SSAI.
4. He was never designated by the Subano community of Siocon to be a
spokesman on anything.
5. He has claimed falsely to be an expert on our people and our
traditions but
he is not from our area so how can he be?
4. Ofelia Davi, because she is not a Subanon; and therefore ignorant of
the ways,
culture and traditions of the Subanons.
5. Luni Lucas of Siocon because he allowed the small mining and is still
acting for
them and Anoy and Mato. As we gathered, per his representation, Mayor Cesar
Soriano at one time issued a mayor’s permits to some of the small miners.
6. Different NGO’s, particularly DCMI, Philippine IP Links, Christian
Aid, etc. as these
are not IP Subanon organizations and therefore do not know the true
sentiments,
aspirations and desires of the Subano community of Siocon. We have also not
authorized them.
3. We had already reached a major decision and that is to allow TVI to
operate
within our ancestral domain, as evidenced by the MOA we signed and the
Resolution of
October 15, 2002. We asked therefore that this decision of ours should
be respected by
you. We are big enough with sane minds to know what is best for the
Subanons of
Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. Now that we are enjoying to reap the
dividends of the
MOA, such as royalty, good roads, electricity, employment, health,
school, livelihood
projects, do not inject anything in that relationship that will sow
conflict among us
Subanons and other tribes. TVI despite the distance and risk has shown
that it cares for
the welfare of the Subanons, and as we stay here in Canatuan we feel it,
we see it and
we enjoy it. Our people have been working in jobs, our babies have been
saved in
childbirth, our women have been learning to grow rice and vegetables. If
there is one
who could attest to it better, it is we, not anyone else. We do not want
to go back to the
days of small miners (1993 – 2001) where we, men, women and children, worked
virtually as their slaves. You should be proud and thankful of TVI for
helping the causes
and interests of the Subanons.
Our National Government knows better what is good for the IPs like us,
and we
are all supportive of its program for responsible mining and sustainable
development.
We are all for the development of our ancestral domain which to us is
the only visible
and viable solution to free us from ignorance and poverty.
4. Some NGO’s are using the Subanons of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, to get
donations from abroad. In their solicitation for donations, they depict
us as being
oppressed. Grants and/or donations are given for our cause but far from
reaching us,
these monies just stay at the hands of the NGO’s who solicit them.
What have the Churches and the NGOs done for us? They have not put one
peso into our community. For instance DCMI, leading the picket in March
2004 at
Pisawak to stop TVI bringing benefits to the Subano community, blocked
100 Subano
mourners who passed by after burying their dead relative. It has not
provided any
livelihood projects for us. It has not visited our ancestral domain to
teach us how to
plant, to read, to write or to take care our ancestral domain. It does
not help deliver our
babies safely or fight diseases in our homes. It does not even talk to
us who are the real
traditional leaders of our place. It brings NGOs here to only talk to
small miners and
Anoy and Mato and then tells lies to the world about us.
We are human beings, and we ought not to be depicted as ignorant and
poor for
the personal gains of these NGOs.
Finally, unless you are prepared to really help us, I ask you to leave
us alone,
because such right is enshrined in RA 8371, right to govern ourselves.
This unique right
of empowerment is given to us because as IPs, we use our customs,
traditions, culture
and usages in dealing with Mother Nature and our fellow men. Thus we
know better
than you do on how we could improve and protect ourselves within our
ancestral
domain.
Should you need further clarification as to any matter I state above,
please write
to me.
Very truly yours,
TIMUAY JUANITO TUMANGKIS
President
(The Siocon Subano Association Inc. (SSAI) was registered with the
Securities and
Exchange Commission in 1991 to represent the Subanon Indigenous People of
Canatuan, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. At present, it has
around 2,000
Subano members. Timuay Juanito Tumangkis is also the Chairman of the Subanon
Council of Elders of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, whose legitimacy was
upheld by the
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) per its decision on
June 1, 2004.
Said Council with a composition of 30 traditional tribal leaders is the
policy making body
of the Subano of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.)
Attorney Pablo Bernardo has assisted writing this letter and he is the
Chairman of the
Provincial Consultative Body of the Subanons of the entire Province of
Zamboanga del
Norte per the consensus of 175 delegates in the forum from January 28 –
30, 2005, held
in Dipolog City.
Copies furnished:
Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Philippines
Philippines Media
Canadian Media