DAVAO CITY – Leaders of Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIPs) groups have appealed to interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to resolve killings against tribes in the region.
MACACUA (FB)
In a statement signed by 10 NMIP leaders, they urged Macacua to take immediate action in response to violence and killings affecting them.
According to the group, 85 NMIPs have been killed in the region since 2014, most of them tribal leaders.
They noted that 15 NMIPs were killed in 2024, the most recent of which was Fernando Promboy in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan in Maguindanao del Sur on Feb. 17, 2025.
Promboy, an elder of the Teduray-Lambangian, was brutally killed and beheaded. He went missing on Feb. 17 and was found dead three days later.
The most prominent leader killed was South Upi Vice Mayor Roldan Benito on Aug. 2, 2024.
Like most of the killings perpetrated against the tribe, police believe that land conflict was the primary motive.
“To this day, no perpetrator has yet been brought to justice. Families of victims, especially witnesses to the crime, face continuing threats to their lives. Others, including those from neighboring communities, have been displaced,” the tribal leaders emphasized.
They urged Macacua to create strong, reliable protection, and justice mechanisms for NMIP communities in the region as provided by the safeguards and guarantees enshrined in the Philippine Constitution, Bangsamoro Organic Law, the Bangsamoro Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Act of 2024, and the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Act of 2024.
They appealed to the Bangsamoro government to establish permanent military detachments in NMIP areas experiencing increasing violence such as South Upi, Datu Odin Sinsuat, and Datu Hoffer Ampatuan. “These detachments should collaborate with local mediation bodies to prevent violent transformation of conflicts,” they said.
They urged the government to provide immediate assistance to IDPs as well as facilitate their return to their communities.
According to Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG), dozens of displaced tribes are still in different evacuation centers in South Upi after they were displaced due to fighting over land conflict in 2020. Some of them sought temporary shelter in Barangay Kuya in South Upi.
“We appeal to the new interim Chief Minister to act on our calls to help restore hope and alleviate the fear in our communities. We need bold, decisive measures that guarantee our protection and deliver long-overdue justice. Let this be the turning point that ends our suffering and secures a future where our rights are respected and our voices heard,” they said.