Cease and desist order issued by NCIP vs illegal ancestral land occupants in Bukidnon
The National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) issued a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) to Kianteg Development Corporation (KDC) for illegally occupying a portion of Kianteg-Pulangiyon Ancestral Domain (AD) at Barangay Butong and Barangay San Jose, Municipality of Quezon, Province of Bukidnon.

In a statement released by NCIP on May 4, the Commission en Banc (CEB) has authorized them to issue the CDO hoping to finally resolve the conflict between KDC and Manobo-Pulangiyon Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (IIC/IPs) after the expiration of KDC's Forest Land Graze Management Agreement (FLGMA).
NCIP said that CDO was issued on April 20, 2022. Due to the said land disagreement, a big number of Manobo-Pulangihon tribe members resorted to living on makeshift shelters in 2017 along the National highway of Quezon, just a few distances away from their land occupied by KDC.
"NCIP deems it best to implement the recognition of the Manobo-Pulangiyon’s right to ownership over their AD which was well established by their native title and time immemorial possession,” the commission said. Manobo-Pulangiyon's claim is in line with the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim (CADC) No. R10-CADC-135 was issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on June 5, 1998, giving them the rights to the land under the Constitution and other related laws in the Philippines.
The issuance of CDO was witnessed by National Government Agencies (NGAs) namely the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), DENR, Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), media, and representatives from Provincial and Municipal Local Government Units (LGUs).
On April 19, presidential candidate Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman and his team were involved in a shooting incident wounding five persons when they entered the disputed land. (Luisa Cabato)