Katribu welcomes UN rapporteur’s report on the Philippines, supports recommendation to abolish NTFELCAC

Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas fully supports the final report of United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, presented to the UN Human Rights Council following her official visit to the Philippines in 2024. The report affirms the long-standing concerns of Indigenous Peoples, whose right to freedom of expression continues to be systematically violated. These include the violations of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC); rampant red-tagging and terrorist labeling by the NTF-ELCAC, police, and military; political vilification of Indigenous leaders and militarization of their communities; and designation as terrorists of our struggles under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

We commend Special Rapporteur Khan for her clear and firm recommendation to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). Katribu, in its submission to the Special Rapporteur, stressed the urgent need to end red-tagging and terrorist designations that endanger Indigenous lives and suppress legitimate dissent. We are grateful that Ms. Khan shares this view and highlights how these actions undermine advocacy, silence resistance, and cultivate a climate of fear.

Katribu also welcomes her call to review the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020—a necessary step toward its eventual repeal. This law has been weaponized against Indigenous Peoples, as shown in the case of the two Ayta who were the first to be wrongfully charged under the law. This draconian legislation is a grave threat to civilians. It has led to the persecution of Indigenous Peoples, whose innocence was later upheld by the courts.

We join the Special Rapporteur in urging the Philippine government to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The unresolved disappearances of Indigenous rights defenders—including Jonas Burgos in April 2007, James Balao in 2008, Dexter Capuyan and Bazoo de Jesus in April 2023, and Felix Salaveria in August 2024—underscore the state’s persistent impunity and lack of accountability. These cases highlight the urgent need to hold the Philippine government accountable for all instances of enforced disappearance.

During Ms. Khan’s visit, Katribu, allied organizations, and Indigenous political prisoners wrote #DearIreneKhan letters, sharing firsthand accounts of the situation of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines. Among them were Manobo woman Julieta Gomez, Lumad rights advocate Niezel Velasco, and Emilio Gabales, a long-time Indigenous rights advocate, unjustly detained for nearly four and seven years, respectively, on fabricated charges. Their letters called for an end to the militarization of Indigenous communities, which silences their right to self-expression and to resist destructive projects threatening their lives, lands, and cultures, while also exposing the ongoing repression of Indigenous defenders behind bars.

Katribu strongly calls on the Marcos Jr. administration to act on the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations and uphold its human rights obligations, especially in protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights to self-determination, expression, and peaceful advocacy. Her firm call to abolish the NTF-ELCAC affirms what Indigenous Peoples have long asserted: it sows division, commits rights violations, and silences dissent instead of promoting peace.

#OurFightIsJust