The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples said Tuesday it issued a cease-and-desist order against Lio Airport and Tourism Estate, which are owned and operated by Ten Knots Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of Ayala Land Inc., in El Nido, Palawan.
NCPI said in a statement it issued the CDO due to TKPI’s refusal to undergo the process of the Free and Prior Informed Consent with the Tagbanuwa Tandulanen IP community, as mandared under Republic Act No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.
The CDO ordered the temporary halt of the projects in Barangays Villa Libertad and Pasadena in El Nido, Legal action/s maybe filed for violation of the provisions of IPRA.
NCIP Mimaropa regional director Dr. Marie Grace Pascua signed the CDO.
The CDO asked for support from the provincial government to implement the order with the assistance of authorities or other government agencies if necessary.
NCIP issued a show cause order on Feb. 13, 2022 to TKPI addressed to legal counsel Angara Abello Concepcion Regala Cruz. Before this, four notices to comply were also issued by NCIP dated Sept. 20, Oct. 21, Dec. 30, 2021 and Jan. 21, 2022.
NCIP said TKPI refused to abide by the FPIC.
The Lio Tourism Estate is a 325-hectare master planned beach residential village with 4.2-kilometer white sand beach front.
Lio Airport is a private airport owned and operated by TKPI for the exclusive use for its aircraft, Airwift Philippines which flies to and from El Nido, Manila, Cebu, Boracay and Bohol.
TKPI also owns and operates four island resorts of Apulit, Miniloc, Lagen and Pangulasian in Palawan. The locations of the resorts are also claimed by the Tagbanuwa Tandulanen IP community as part of their ancestral domain.
