Bishop urges pullout of private guards from southern Palawan islet

A Catholic bishop has joined calls for the immediate pullout of private security forces occupying an island in southern Palawan that is being considered for an eco-luxury tourism project. About 80 security guards have been deployed in Sitio Mariahangin in Barangay Bugsuk, Balabac, Palawan, since April 4. Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa said the presence of the guards has sparked fear among residents, many of whom belong to the Molbog and Cagayanen Indigenous communities.

He expressed deep concern over the escalating tension and its toll on families, especially children, who are living under the threat of possible displacement. “These simple people feel abandoned and betrayed by the government agencies they believed could assist them in this difficult time,” Mesiona said. “It’s disheartening.



” “I stand with the residents of Mariahangin in urging those in power, as I believe they are not heartless people, to command the Blue Guards to vacate the island forthwith,” he said. Reports reaching the local Church indicate that since the guards’ arrival, villagers have remained on high alert, fearing an incursion into their homes. Daily routines have been disrupted, and children are reportedly showing signs of emotional distress due to the ongoing anxiety and uncertainty, according to the bishop.

Mesiona emphasized the ancestral claim of the Indigenous residents, saying any forced eviction would be a grave injustice. “The residents..

. consider the island to be their ancestral land. Thus, displacing them would be a profound injustice,” he said.

The Church has vowed to continue supporting the community in Mariahangin and is appealing to civil society and human rights organizations to closely monitor the situation..