Fr. Pedro “Pete” Montallana, a prominent figure in the opposition to the controversial Kaliwa Dam project, died Sunday.
According to the Prelature of Infanta, where he had served since 1993, the priest passed away “due to health complications”. He was 75.

“Fr. Pete has lived his life dedicated to the charism of St. Francis serving the indigenous people of the prelature,” Bishop Bernardino Cortez of Infanta said.

The priest was the director of the Indigenous Peoples Apostolate for the Infanta prelature and had been the parish administrator of the Shrine of St. Joseph in Polilio, Quezon, until his death.

The bishops’ Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples (ECIP) also mourned his passing, calling him a “bearer of hope” for the indigenous communities of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

“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 was an outspoken critic of the China-funded project, which he argued would harm local communities, particularly indigenous groups and vulnerable populations.

He also led a petition against the project, which seeks to protect the environment and the Dumagat tribe’s ancestral lands.

Construction on the Kaliwa Dam is ongoing and is expected to be completed by 2027 as part of a larger plan to increase water supply to Manila.

Despite facing threats and opposition, the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP) said, Fr. Montallana remained steadfast in his mission, driven by faith and trust in God’s providence.

“Fr. Pete’s passion for justice, his care for creation, and his deep spirituality have left an indelible mark on countless lives,” the CMSP said.

“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 served as co-executive secretary of CMSP, formerly known as the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), from 1985 to 1989.

Ordained as a priest for the Order of Friars Minor-Philippine Province, he was officially incardinated into the Infanta prelature in 2022.