Legarda files reso to investigate violence against indigenous peoples

Sen. Loren Legarda —File photo from her office

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution seeking to probe the reported violence against Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has been filed in the Senate.

Sen. Loren Legarda filed Senate Resolution No. 1329 on Monday following the brutal killing of Teduray-Lambangian tribal chieftain Fernando Promboy, whose beheaded body was found near a water reservoir in Maguindanao del Sur on February 19, 2025.

Apart from this, Legarda noted that the Timuay Justice and Governance and Climate Conflict Action have documented at least 84 NMIP killings from 2014 to 2024, including 12 leaders, seven youth, and eight women.

She likewise proceeded to cite data from the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region where 36 NMIP killings were recorded during the same period.

READ: Protecting minorities within minorities in the Bangsamoro region

But a separate data provided for by the Commission on Human Rights through its 2024 Situation Report showed a different figure indicating 65 males, seven females, and seven youth victims between 2018 and 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 stated.

According to Legarda, beyond ensuring accountability, there is also a pressing need for the government to reinforce the rule of law and establish clear, enforceable mechanisms that safeguard the rights and security of NMIPs “without exacerbating tensions or exposing communities to further vulnerabilities.”

Legarda’s resolution specifically urges the Senate to do the following:

• Assess the full range of challenges faced by NMIPs in BARMM
• Check the urgent need for strengthened legal and policy interventions that ensure the full inclusion of NMIPs in the peace and development agenda of both the Bangsamoro region and the broader national framework