Lay Theologian Wilson C. Amad called on lawmakers to urgently amend or reform the Regalian Doctrine and the Philippine Mining Act due to the severe harm they cause to local communities.
Amad noted that these laws empower the state and large mining corporations to extract minerals even within indigenous territories.
He added that this framework serves as the primary driver of environmental degradation and the displacement of indigenous peoples from their ancestral domains.
Consequently, Amad urged immediate government intervention to protect the rights of indigenous communities facing land loss.
