Gov’t deplores, cites measures vs environment-related killings

Malacañang yesterday said that the Duterte administration does not tolerate the killing of pro-environment adviocates and individuals protecting the environment and similar causes, including indigenous peoples (IPs).

Global Witness, a London-based nongovernment organization, earlier tagged the Philippines as among the deadliest countries in the world for environmental defenders for four consecutive years.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, citing the report, said mining-related killings accounted for most of these cases, with indigenous lumad people as among the hardest hit.

“We do not condone such violence and intimidation,” Abella said Saturday morning.

According to Abella, the government has established the Indigenous Peoples Inter-Agency Task Force to address the reports on killings, violence, and intimidation.

The Task Force is composed of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, its corporate arm, the Natural Resources Development Corporation and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

“Government has thus established the Indigenous Peoples Inter-Agency Task Force to ensure that indigenous peoples are not subjected to undue pressure and influence from unscrupulous businessmen intending to extract natural resources from their ancestral lands,” Abella said.

In its report titled “Defenders of the Earth” released early this week, Global Witness recorded at least 28 land and environmental defenders were killed in the Philippines in 2016.

The report also declared 2016 as the deadliest year for the environment and land defenders with at least 200 people killed across the globe.