Quezon: Catholics mourn 'Fr Pete', who stood with Indigenous people against a Chinese mega-dam
The priest died at the age of 75 from health complications. In 2020, he suffered a stroke while preparing for a Senate hearing as part of the fight against the US$ 244-million China-funded Kaliwa Dam project to supply water to the capital, which puts at risk Indigenous people in Dumagat-Remontados.
Manila (AsiaNews) – Philippine Catholics are mourning the death of Fr Pedro "Pete" Montallana, who passed away last Sunday. A well-known figure in the fight for Indigenous rights, he stood against the controversial Kaliwa dam project.
Over the past few days, both clergy and laity have offered their prayers and paid tribute to the late Franciscan priest after Bishop Bernardino Cortez of Infanta (Quezon) announced his death.
The clergyman, who passed away at the age of 75 “due to health complications,” led a “life dedicated to the Charism of St Francis, serving the indigenous people (IP) of the prelature since 1993,” the prelate stressed.
He had suffered a stroke in 2020 as he was about to appear before a Senate hearing to oppose the US4-million China-funded Kaliwa Dam project.
The clergyman led the Apostolate of the indigenous peoples in the Prelature of Infanta and until his death, he had served as parish administrator of the Shrine of Saint Joseph in Polilio, Quezon.
The Episcopal Commission for Indigenous Peoples (ECIP) joined in mourning his passing, calling him a "bearer of hope" for the indigenous communities of the Sierra Madre.
“The hope sparked by the ministry of Fr Pete among the IP communities will continue,” said Bishop Valentine Dimoc, ECIP chairman. “We will carry on the mission and walk together with our IP brothers and sisters.”
Fr Montallana, who was an outspoken critic of the Chinese-funded megaproject, said that the latter would harm local communities, especially Indigenous groups and vulnerable populations.
The cleric also led a petition against the project in an attempt to protect the environment, the ecosystem, and the ancestral lands of the Dumagat people.
The construction of the Kaliwa Dam is currently underway and is expected to be completed by 2027, as part of a broader plan to increase water supply to Manila.
The priest warned that the dam, a key project under former President Rodrigo Duterte's "Build, Build, Build" programme, will end up submerging 300 hectares of forest ecosystems in the Sierra Madre.
It will also affect the livelihoods of more than 100,000 people and devastate the culture of the Dumagat-Remontados Indigenous peoples living in the provinces of Quezon, Aurora, and Rizal, east of Manila.
Despite everything, the current head of state, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, is going ahead with the dam project because it would alleviate the capital's water problems.
Despite threats and opposition, Fr Montallana remained "steadfast in his mission" guided by faith and trust in God's providence, said the Conference of Major Superiors of the Philippines (CMSP).
“Fr Pete’s passion for justice, his care for creation, and his deep spirituality have left an indelible mark on countless lives,” the CMSP added. “His legacy calls us to continue the work he so fearlessly championed: to defend the dignity of the poor, to preserve God’s creation, and to see Christ in every person we encounter,” it added.
Fr Montallana was co-executive secretary of the CMSP, known as the Association of Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) between 1985 and 1989.
Ordained priest for the Order of Friars Minor-Philippine Province, the clergyman was officially incardinated in the Infanta Prelature in 2022.
Radyo Veritas referred to him as a “lover of the poor”.
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