The Haran Report: On Human Rights Violations Against the Lumad of Mindanao The Mandate of the Commission Pursuant to its duty to investigate HR violations and to monitor the Philippine government’s compliance with HR, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), through its Regional XI Office, investigated alleged violations and abuses against the Lumad and other Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao. This Haran Report arose from two diametrically opposed position papers: the first, demanding the closure of alternative Lumad schools; and the second, calling for the pull-out of military troops in ancestral domains where these schools are located. Cries for help coming from evacuees displaced by the conflict who were encamped in the UCCP Compound in Haran, Davao City were also heard by the Commission. The cases were docketed as CHR-XI-2015-0247 and CHRXI-2015-0248. It must be mentioned that, under the 1987 Constitution and the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (RA 8371, otherwise known as IPRA), the State recognizes and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communities within the framework of national unity and development.1 The State shall protect the rights of indigenous cultural communities to their ancestral lands to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being.2 The State also recognizes, respects, and protects the right of indigenous cultural communities to preserve and develop their cultures, traditions, and institutions. It is constitutionally commanded to consider these rights in the formulation of national plans and policies.3 1 1987 Constitution, Section 22, Article II. 2 Id., Section 5, Article XII: 3 Id., Section 17, Article XIV 1