Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines – The decapitated body of Fernando Promboy, a 65-year-old elder of the Teduray-Lambangian tribe, was discovered on February 19 near a water reservoir on his land in Barangay Tuayan Mother, Datu Hoffer Ampatuan. His hands were bound, and his head had been severed.
Promboy, who had gone missing on February 17, was reportedly last seen visiting his ancestral land. Prior to his death, armed men had been sighted in the area, pressuring him to vacate the land he firmly claimed as part of the Indigenous ancestral domain.
The tribal chieftain of Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG), Leticio Datuwata, stated that Promboy was the cousin of Juanito Promboy, an Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representative (IPMR) in Barangay Tuayan, who was also killed on April 29, 2024. Datuwata believes that Fernando’s murder was motivated by the same land conflict that led to his cousin’s death.
In December 2024, Fernando Promboy’s family was among those who fled to Barangay Limpongo after the killing of another IP leader, Baywan Angan. Angan’s assassination had instilled fear among Indigenous families, forcing them to leave their communities due to security threats. However, when Fernando returned to check on his land on February 17, he never made it back to the evacuation center.
Pattern of Unresolved Killings in BARMM
Promboy’s murder is the latest in a string of killings targeting Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIPs) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Reports indicate that since 2018, at least 85 Indigenous leaders and members have been killed in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte, with none of the cases leading to arrests or convictions.
In response, the BARMM’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs (MIPA) is considering forming a task force to address tribal conflicts, particularly those linked to land disputes in the region’s mountainous areas.
The Teduray and Lambangian tribes have long decried land encroachment and displacement from their ancestral lands, opposing proposed mineral explorations and other development projects that threaten their communities. Their resistance has resulted in threats, intimidation, and killings of Indigenous leaders and members.
Call for Justice and Protection
The killing of Promboy has intensified calls from Indigenous communities and human rights advocates for justice and better protection of Indigenous Peoples in the region. Senator Robin Padilla recently filed Senate Resolution No. 1203, condemning the alarming number of killings of Teduray tribe members and urging immediate government action to protect Indigenous communities in BARMM.
As violence against NMIPs continues, Indigenous groups stress the urgent need for concrete government intervention to break the cycle of killings and impunity in the region. They demand a thorough investigation into the murder of Fernando Promboy and other slain Indigenous leaders, fearing that without accountability, more tribal members will fall victim to the same fate.
Authorities’ Response
Authorities have yet to identify the perpetrators behind Promboy’s murder. Indigenous leaders, however, insist that this is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of violence and displacement affecting Indigenous Peoples in BARMM.
The Indigenous community continues to demand justice and the protection of their rights, emphasizing the need for prompt and effective measures to end the ongoing violence against Indigenous Peoples in Mindanao.
