House Resolution No. 134 - Urging the Committee on Human Rights to Conduct an Investigation on the Militarization of Peasant, Fisherfolk and Indigenous Communities

Sep 21, 2026

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House Resolution No. 134 urges the Committee on Human Rights to conduct an investigation into the militarization of peasant, fisherfolk, and indigenous communities in Ilocos and Cordillera and the resulting violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The resolution cites documented aerial bombings, escalation of abuses, and aerial attacks associated with hydroelectric and energy projects on ancestral lands. It also highlights red-tagging, terrorist labeling, intimidation, coerced surrender, surveillance, and fabricated charges, including impacts on families, farmers, and communities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Resolution

Key Findings and Legal Basis

Documented Incidents and Allegations

1Republic of the Philippines2HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES3Quezon City,Metro Manila4567First Regular Session820009 TWENTIETH CONGRESS 10House Resolution No.134 1112 13Introduced by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep.ANTONIOL.TINIO and15KABATAAN Party-list Rep.RENEE LOUISE M.CO16 171819URGING THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS TO CONDUCT AN20 INVESTIGATION,IN AID OF LEGISLATION,ON THE MILITARIZATION21OF PEASANT,FISHERFOLK AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN22ILOCOS AND CORDILLERA AND ITS RESULTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND23INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW VIOLATIONS242526WHEREAS,the Constitution mandates the State to protect the life,liberty,and security27 of every Filipino,and uphold human rights and International Humanitarian Law(IHL)28 in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and other treaties to which the Philippines29 is a party;30 # RESOLUTION 31 WHEREAS,human rights watchdog KARAPATAN documented grave violations of32 IHL and rights abuses linked to the militarization of peasant,fisherfolk and indigenous33 communities in Ilocos and Cordillera region during the Marcos Jr.administration;34 35 WHEREAS,according to a comprehensive report by the Cordillera Human Rights36 Alliance(CHRA)dated 24 April 2025,there has been a marked escalation of human37 rights violations in the Cordillera region.This is further aggravated by the continued38 imposition of destructive projects in ancestral domains without genuine free,prior,and39 informed consent(FPIC),accompanied by militarization and intimidation ofindigenous40 communities;41 42 WHEREAS,the CHRA documented multiple incidents of aerial bombings between43 2023 and 2024 in Balbalan,Kalinga;Pilar,Abra;and Sta.Maria,Ilocos Sur,perpetrated44 by units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP)under the 5th and 7h Infantry45 Divisions,causing destruction of crops,livestock,and communal structures,mass 1 displacement of civilians,and deep psychological trauma to residents,including2 children and the elderly; 3 4 WHEREAS,these aerial bombings were conducted in or near areas targeted for large- 5 scale hydroelectric and energy projects,such as the proposed 49-megawatt Saltan Dand 640-megawatt Mabaca Hydroelectric Power Plants,which have been strongly opposed 7 by affected indigenous communities for their adverse impacts on ancestral lands,8 traditional livelihoods,and cultural heritage; 9 10 WHEREAS,documented cases include: 11 12 1.The March 2 and 9,2023 aerial bombings in Barangay Gawa-an,Balbalan,Kalinga,involving at least 14 bombs dropped,some within 200 meters of anelementary school during classes; 13 14 15 2.The April 2,2024 bombings in Pilar,Abra and adjacent Sta.Maria,Ilocos Sur,which displaced at least 119 families,caused extensive damage to tobacco crops,and resulted in significant loss of income for farmers;and 16 17 18 19 20 3.The June 7,2024 bombing in Barangay Maling,Balbalan,Kalinga,causingrenewed trauma in a community already bombed in 2023; 21 22 23WHEREAS,beyond militarization and bombings,the practice of red-tagging and24 terrorist labelling remains rampant in the Cordillera,with at least 25 documented25 incidents in schools and barangays,and targeted visits by military and police to26 activists'homes to compel them to "surrender”; 27 28 WHEREAS,the Supreme Court's pronouncement that “red-tagging,vilification,29 labelling,and guilt by association threaten a person's right to life,liberty,or security,"30 military units,police forces.However,the National Task Force to End Local31 Communist Armed Conflict(NTF-ELCAC)continues to publicly red-tag and accuse32 organizations,such as the Cordillera Peoples Alliance(CPA),the Cordilleran Youth33 Center(CYC)and the Cordillera Women's Education Research and Action Center34 (CWEARC),of being "front organizations"of outlawed groups; 35 36 WHEREAS,despite a local ordinance in Baguio

FAQs

What action does House Resolution No. 134 request?

It urges the Committee on Human Rights to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the militarization of peasant, fisherfolk, and indigenous communities in Ilocos and Cordillera, including resulting human rights and international humanitarian law violations.

What types of incidents are cited in the resolution?

The resolution cites aerial bombings between 2023 and 2024, displacement of civilians, destruction of crops and communal structures, and psychological trauma, along with red-tagging and terrorist labeling in schools and barangays.

What legal concerns does the resolution raise about red-tagging and anti-terror designations?

It references Supreme Court pronouncements that red-tagging and guilt by association threaten rights to life, liberty, or security, and states that authorities and task forces continue to publicly red-tag organizations while using anti-terror laws to designate individuals and file charges.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Callum