SEN. Loren Legarda yesterday filed a resolution calling for a Senate investigation into the situation and security of non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIPs) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 1329, Legarda said it is important to look into the plight of the NMIPs amid reports of killings and violence against them.
She said measures must be put in place to ensure their safety and protection, preserve their cultures, traditions, and institutions, and uphold their dignity and well-being.
A statement issued by Legarda’s office said the move comes in the wake of the brutal killing of Teduray-Lambangian tribal chieftain Fernando Promboy, whose beheaded body was found near a water reservoir in Maguindanao del Sur last month.
It said Promboy was a respected community leader known for his firm stance against armed encroachments on ancestral lands.
Legarda said past and recent reports that non-Moro peoples were subjected to violence are a cause for concern, as she cited reports from Timuay Justice and Governance, and the Climate Conflict Action, which showed that at least 84 NMIPs were killed from 2014 to 2024, including 12 leaders, seven youths, and eight women.
She said data from the Police Regional Office-BARMM showed 36 NMIPs were killed during the same period, while a report from the Commission on Human Rights said 65 men, seven women, and seven youth leaders were killed from 2018 to 2024.
“These significant discrepancies among the records highlight the urgent need for independent validation, comprehensive investigation, and reinforced protection measures to hold perpetrators accountable, while safeguarding NMIPs from further risks, threats, endangerment, and violence,” Legarda said in the resolution.
She said Section 9, Article IV of RA 11054 or the Organic Law of the Bangsamoro Government mandates the BARMM to recognize and promote the rights of the NMIPs within the framework of the Constitution and national laws.
“The continuing alarming violence against NMIPs gravely undermines constitutional, statutory, and international protections and commitments, and poses a serious threat to peace, security, and the inclusive development agenda in the Bangsamoro region,” she said, adding that the violence further erodes the rule of law, perpetuates cycles of displacement, and endangers the cultural integrity and socio-political participation of indigenous communities.
“In view of the foregoing, it is imperative to examine the systemic issues affecting NMIPs, including barriers to accessing justice, the adequacy of existing protection programs, and the urgent need for strengthened legal and policy interventions that ensure their full inclusion in the peace and development agenda of both the Bangsamoro region and the broader national framework,” she added.
Legarda said it is also important to determine if existing laws to protect the NMIPs are fully implemented.
