KIDAPAWAN CITY –— The National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) is investigating the burning of 32 houses belonging to tribal members in the village of Lomonday, Barangay Ganatan, in the town of Arakan, Cotabato province.
This investigation follows the 6th Circuit Municipal Trial Court’s decision on April 25, 2024, which ordered the demolition of houses and infrastructure in the area.
Mscapantao Manamba, the NCIP provincial officer, stated that their department has provided immediate aid to the 32 families affected by the fire.
Manamba informed Newsline that the case revolves around a certificate of land ownership award (CLOA) issued by the Department of Agrarian Reform to beneficiaries who are also tribe members. These tribespeople have been residing in the area under a certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) issued by the NCIP to the Tinanan tribe in 2018.
The NCIP has raised concerns about the court sheriff’s actions, arguing that there should have been a meeting before proceeding with the demolition. Barangay Chairman Alan Oti and his brother Magsaysay Oti claimed that the sheriff led the burning of the houses.
Previously, the barangay captain and his brother filed a motion for reconsideration with the help of CADT tribal leader Lipatuan Marlon Buhat, but the motion was denied, and the court ordered the demolition to proceed.
This is not the first instance of complications arising between issued CLOA and CADT in the region, leading to questions about the decisions made by the agencies issuing these titles.
The local government has stated that it is prepared to support the construction of new houses for the 32 displaced families.
