The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) condemned the arrest of 10 residents in Palawan’s Sitio Marihangin who peacefully resisted eviction from their ancestral land.
The residents, primarily fisherfolk, were charged with grave coercion related to an ecotourism project backed by San Miguel Corp. and Bricktree Properties but were released on bail.
CEAP called on authorities to uphold due process, respect indigenous rights, and ensure the safety of the Molbog community.
Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa also criticized the arrests as unjust and expressed solidarity with the indigenous people.
Tensions escalated when armed guards entered the disputed land, and a community leader was sentenced over a long-standing illegal fishing case tied to his advocacy for ancestral rights.
