MANILA (LiCAS News): Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the Philippines, appealed on December 16 for compassion and restraint as the Indigenous community in Mariahangin village on Bugsuk Island faces possible eviction just days before Christmas.
Bishop Mesiona issued the appeal following the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order by the Regional Trial Court in Brooke’s Point.
The 20-day temporary restraining order bars residents from interfering with or blocking the activities of the claimants on the disputed land, a move community groups say effectively weakens their ability to prevent entry, clearing, or preparatory activities linked to possible eviction.
“In the midst of our joyful preparation for the Christmas celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is troubling to think that our brothers and sisters on Mariahangin Island are facing deep fear and anxiety,” the bishop said.
He said the community remains hopeful that justice and compassion will prevail while awaiting the effects of the court order.
They have lived in that place for a long time, and the cemetery on the island—a symbol of their lives, deaths, and faith—is concrete proof of their relationship to the land from their ancestors to their descendants
Bishop Mesiona
“While we await the Temporary Restraining Order issued by the Regional Trial Court in Brooke’s Point, we continue to hope that they will be given hope and tranquility based on their conscience,” he said.
Bishop Mesiona emphasised the long-standing connection of the residents to the land, pointing to their continued presence across generations and the existence of a cemetery on the island.
“They have lived in that place for a long time, and the cemetery on the island—a symbol of their lives, deaths, and faith—is concrete proof of their relationship to the land from their ancestors to their descendants,” the bishop said.
He stressed that the right to housing is a fundamental human right, particularly for communities on the margins of society.
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Invoking the Christmas story, the bishop warned against repeating patterns of indifference and injustice.
In the midst of our joyful preparation for the Christmas celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is troubling to think that our brothers and sisters on Mariahangin Island are facing deep fear and anxiety
Bishop Mesiona
“If they are forced to leave, where will they go? Will they be like Joseph and Mary who found no room when the birth of Christ was near?” he said. “On the night the child Jesus was born, the world made space for him in a manger; may we not repeat the lack of compassion of our time.”
Bishop Mesiona framed the issue as both a moral and legal concern, calling on those in authority to act with mercy.
“As a shepherd, I pray that the hearts of those in power may be moved to show compassion and to give attention to the rights of these citizens,” he said. “We know that this is not only a legal issue but a moral one. One of the fundamental needs of the human person is at stake.”
The bishop called for a collective prayer and action grounded in love and justice.
Indeed, it is difficult to be poor in our country, but in the spirit of Christmas, we hope to open our hearts to love and justice. Together, let us pray for their right to live peacefully and in dignity,” the bishop said.
Sambilog-Balik Bugsuk Movement condemned the rapid issuance of the restraining order, which the group said could enable forced eviction during the Christmas judicial break.
We know that this is not only a legal issue but a moral one. One of the fundamental needs of the human person is at stake
Bishop Mesiona
“This extraordinarily hasty ruling is unprecedented in its speed. It raises serious questions about due process and impartiality,” the group said.
It described the order as “a deliberate legal ploy designed to exploit the upcoming Christmas judicial break,” preventing potential intervention or reversal by higher courts.
According to the group, the ruling opens the way for “a full-scale invasion, demolition, and forced eviction of nearly 300 indigenous Molbog, Pala’wan, Cagayangen, and non-indigenous residents from Sitio Mariahanging, Bugsuk Island.”
The Sambilog-Balik Bugsuk Movement said Mariahangin forms part of their ancestral domain and linked the dispute to historical injustices.
“Sitio Mariahangin is indisputably part of our ancestral domain, occupied for generations long before contested titles rooted in Martial Law-era injustices,” the statement said.
The group cited the long-pending application for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title and the revoked agrarian reform coverage as evidence of what it described as the continuing denial of their rights under Philippine law and international human rights standards.
Rejecting development-based justifications for displacement, the group said, “No so-called ‘development’ justifies this assault on indigenous survival. We will resist peacefully and lawfully, defending our homeland where our ancestors are buried, and our children’s future lies.”
The statement called for the immediate review and lifting of the temporary restraining order, expedited processing of the ancestral domain claim, independent investigations into alleged judicial irregularities and human rights violations, and direct intervention by the country’s president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
It ended with a declaration of resolve: “We remain in Mariahanging. We will not be moved.”
