CLARK FREEPORT – The duly elected officers of two tribes of Aetas living in the periphery of this freeport have decried what they called “undemocratic and illegal elections” imposed by the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) in connivance with the local office of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) to pave the way for the unhampered construction a multi-billion peso water theme park here.
Robert Serrano, president of the Mabalacat Tribal Association (MATA) and Joey P. Tanglao, trustee of the Bamban Tribal Association (BATA), accused the legal counsel of NCIP-Tarlac yesterday of conniving with the CDC in an election held on November 23 to remove them from office even as they questioned the propriety
of the CDC project.
The election for MATA and BATA was set by NCIP-Tarlac legal officer Roland Calde in a memorandum dated Nov 6 and was held at the Marcos Village Elementary School in Mabalacat City.
In the November 23 elections, Larry Lingay was elected MATA president while Oscar Rivera was elected BATA president.
Non-member of tribe
But Ruvielane Margarito, Aeta tribal chieftain, said the just concluded election was illegal and the winners were known lackeys of the CDC.
She said Lingay is a Baptist pastor from Zambales and not a member of their tribe even if he is now residing in Barangay Kalangitan, Capas, Tarlac while Rivera is the signatory of the “onerous” Joint Management Agreement (JMA) with CDC.
Then Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin has labeled the JMA as onerous because of its provision of an 80-20 sharing scheme in favor of CDC and at the expense of the Aeta tribes whom the solon called “the real owners oif the land.”
‘Hakot’
Margarita also accused the CDC of “hakot (bringing in voters)” coming from Barangay Sapang Bato, Angeles
City and other areas in the elections who are not members of their tribes. In a letter to NCIP Region III Director Ronaldo M. Daquioag, MATA and BATA deplored Calde for his alleged “intrusion” into their affairs.
The letter dated Nov. 6 was signed by Serrano as MATA president and Danilo R. Adrias as BATA president.
The two Aeta associations questioned the legality of Calde calling for an election for their two associations when “atin kami sariling by-laws (we have our own constitution and by-laws).” Serrano said they still have several more years before their term expires as provided in their charter.
The two tribal associations are now calling for the cancellation of the JMA between the CDC and their associations regarding the use of their ancestral domain. “Paglokwan dakami (They are making fools of us),” Serrano said.
‘Landgrab’
Margarito said only two hectares of their ancestral domain was included in the memorandum of agreement
(MOA) it had with CDC when the BB International Resort and Development Corp. (BBI), which had a contract with CDC, occupies 44 hectares of their ancestral domain.
She said only the two hectares has a Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) with their associations as provided by the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). “This is virtually landgrabbing of our ancestral domain,” she said.
The cancellation of the JMA will imperil the ongoing construction of the P2.5 billion Clark Valley View Leisure and Resort of the BBI. According to Margarito, the CDC signed a leased contract with BBI in September 2006 for 121 hectares.
On July 26, 2007, the CDC obtained a FPIC for two hectares of the 44 hectares covered by the lease contract. She said the NCIP certificate of compliance was released on July 12, 2007.
