NCIP raps DITO Telco over ‘violations’ vs Benguet IPs

By Rocky Ngalob    

     
BAGUIO CITY – The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Cordillera issued a show cause order to DITO Telco for alleged violations of indigenous people’s rights within the ancestral domains (ADs) of Benguet.
    Cordillera NCIP director lawyer Marlon Bosantog, who issued the order, said this was in upholding IPs rights to free and prior informed consent (FPIC) required under Section 59 of Re[public Act 8371 known as Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).
    “It has come to our attention that your company has undertaken or currently undertaking fiber optics laying in the various ADs in Benguet Province without securing the FPIC from concerned indigenous cultural communities /indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) and paying just and fair compensation for damages which they may sustain as consequence thereof” stated the NCIP show cause order to DITO Telco. 
    The NCIP told DITO Telco, “section 7 (b) of IPRA recognizes, protects and promotes rights of the said ICCs/IPs to FPIC in formulation and implementation of any project, government or private, that will affect or impact upon ancestral domains, and to receive just and fair compensation for any damages which they may sustain as a result of the project”. 
    DITO Telco was given 15 days to give its response and show reasons as to why they shall not be held liable for violating IPRA.
    DITO Telco has a pending CP application before the NCIP – CAR for construction of a telecommunication tower in La Trinidad, Benguet.
    Despite the existing CP application, the project is still at preliminary stages of the FPIC process namely which is field-based investigation  stage.
    Records of NCIP – CAR bared  what DITO Telco expressed in their CP application, was a proposal to construct a telecommunication tower which is still subject to FPIC and if constructions overlaps an ancestral domain.
    The issuance of a show cause order is seen as a step in giving space to DITO Telco to present their response to information and complaints reaching the NCIP – CAR regional office.
    DITO Telco, a consortium of Davao businessman Dennis Uy under the mother company of China Telecom, is the third major player in the telecommunication industry.
    It is a newly established telecommunications provider in the Philippines and it is expected that it will compete with duopoly of PLDT and Globe Telecom.