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Sumatra vs. The Honorable Cebu City Prosecutor

HA DATU TAWAHIG (RODERICK D. SUMATRA), TRIBAL CHIEFTAIN, HIGAONON TRIBE, PETITIONER, VS. THE HONORABLE CEBU CITY PROSECUTOR I LINETH LAPINID, CEBU CITY PROSECUTOR II FERNANDO GUBALANE, ASSISTANT CITY PROSECUTOR ERNESTO NARIDO, JR., CEBU CITY PROSECUTOR NICOLAS SELLON, AND THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 12, CEBU CITY ESTELA ALMA SINGCO, RESPONDENTS.

G.R. No. 221139 | 2019-03-20

DECISION
 
LEONEN, J.:
 
The Philippine legal system's framework for the protection of indigenous peoples was never intended and will not operate to deprive courts of jurisdiction over criminal offenses. Individuals belonging to indigenous cultural communities who are charged with criminal offenses cannot invoke Republic Act No. 8371, or the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997, to evade prosecution and liability under courts of law.

This resolves a Petition for Mandamus[1] under Rule 65 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure filed by petitioner Roderick D. Sumatra (Sumatra), also known as Ha Datu Tawahig, praying that...