In a significant crackdown, the police in Surigao City have filed a series of criminal charges against the leaders of the so-called Federal Tribal Government of the Philippines (FTGP). The accused, including Jorgeto Corpuz Santisas and Lourdes Latraca Infante, are facing a total of 10 charges, ranging from malicious mischief to violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The charges were filed on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, marking a decisive action against the group’s activities.
The FTGP, which has been identified as a non-legitimate Indigenous Peoples organization by both local IP leaders and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, has been accused of various criminal acts. These include alarm and scandal, grave coercion, usurpation of authority, physical injury, serious illegal detention, grave threats, and cyber libel. Additionally, the group is charged with violating the election gun ban.
Maj. Jennifer Omiter, the information office chief of the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region, expressed full support for the local police’s actions. She noted that the Surigao City police had shown maximum tolerance when the FTGP padlocked businesses and set up unauthorized checkpoints. However, she emphasized that the damages caused by the group necessitated legal action.
Further complicating matters, the Surigao City government issued a notice of violation against the FTGP for operating without a building permit and certificate of occupancy. On the same day, a member of the group, Ronald Baluca Siahay, was arrested for illegal possession of a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. Following his arrest, Santisas and Infante escalated tensions by posting threats of ‘bloodshed’ on social media if Siahay was not released within 72 hours.
This series of events underscores the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in dealing with groups that falsely claim to represent Indigenous Peoples, while engaging in criminal activities.