Indigenous peoples of Sitio Tagbita, Barangay Punta Baja, in the town of Rizal, have reported an illegal smuggling operation of Falcata timber. Approximately 2.2 million board feet (3,120 pieces) of illegal timber have allegedly been transported in the last month from Palawan to Zamboanga. The logs were illegally felled inside recognized territory of the area’s indigenous groups, a clear violation of the Indigenous People’s Rights Act. Under the law, only the indigenous inhabitants have the rights to the natural resources within their territories.
