Nearly three months after filing a formal corruption complaint against a senior indigenous affairs official, leaders of the Mandaya-Manobos tribe say state authorities have failed to act on allegations involving P19 million in diverted mining royalties.

Tribal representatives submitted the complaint 21 May to the Office of the Ombudsman against National Commission on Indigenous Peoples regional director Generoso Aguio.

The filing alleges that Aguio unlawfully interfered with the leadership of the Macambol Cabuaya Ancestral Domain Management Organization by bypassing recognized tribal leaders to install a favored faction.

According to the complaint, the newly installed faction subsequently authorized unsanctioned bank withdrawals from P19 million in mining royalties designated for community welfare and development projects.

Despite follow-up appeals delivered to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Ombudsman, federal agencies have announced no formal investigation or disciplinary proceedings as of mid-August.

Original tribal leaders Datu Vidal Mapinogos Jr. and Datu Simplicio Mendoza Jr. emphasized that public officials must face accountability for exploiting official positions, adding that the indigenous community is demanding a full accounting of its funds.