Rappler
Kalinga tribes press gov’t to scrap stalled hydropower projects
Kalinga elders and leaders from six tribes have formally requested the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to halt the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process for the Upper Tabuk Hydroelectric Power Project (UTHP) and several proposed dams along the Saltan River.
The elders cite Section 29 of NCIP Administrative Order No. 3, Series of 2012, which allows for the termination of projects due to applicant inaction for six months without justifiable reason, as grounds to stop these hydropower developments.
They argue that the proponents' failure to act for months or even years demonstrates a lack of interest or strategic withholding of action, which erodes the spirit and integrity of the FPIC process.
The community leaders submitted a letter to the NCIP-Cordillera, signed by 10 representatives, emphasizing that the FPIC process should be a mechanism of protection for indigenous peoples and not a tool for corporate manipulation.
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