SOUTH UPI, MAGUINDANAO DEL SUR — A prominent Non-Moro Indigenous People (NMIP) leader and former barangay official was shot dead, while his wife was wounded after motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire on them in broad daylight in Sitio Lumbos, Barangay Romongaob, South Upi, on Thursday, July 25.
The victim was identified as Nicasio Mindo, former barangay kagawad of Pilar and a respected member of the Teduray-Lambangian NMIP community. His wife, Dindin Mindo, was injured and brought to the hospital by concerned residents who witnessed the shooting.
According to police reports, the couple was aboard a motorcycle coming from the Poblacion of Timanan at around 3:00 p.m. when they were tailed by a riding-in-tandem. Upon reaching a remote stretch in Sitio Lumbos, the suspects opened fire, instantly killing Nicasio and injuring his wife before fleeing.
The Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG), a traditional governance body of the Teduray-Lambangian people, condemned the killing, saying it marks the 87th recorded slaying of a Teduray-Lambangian NMIP in the Bangsamoro region.
“Nicasio Mindo was a courageous community leader who peacefully fought for the recognition of our ancestral domain and our rights as NMIPs within BARMM. His murder is not only tragic—it is an attack on our people’s aspirations for justice and survival,” said Timuay Letecio Datuwata, chieftain of TJG.
Mindo was known for his strong advocacy for the legal recognition of Teduray-Lambangian ancestral lands and the rightful inclusion of Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples in the governance and protection mechanisms under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Despite their peaceful efforts, NMIP communities across BARMM have continued to face land grabbing, political exclusion, displacement, and systemic violence—issues that remain largely unaddressed by regional and national authorities.
TJG and allied NMIP organizations assert that the killings are part of a pattern of targeted violence meant to suppress legitimate demands for ancestral domain and self-determination within BARMM.
“We are not against the Bangsamoro struggle. But we, the Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples, also have our own identity, our own rights, and our own struggle. We are being killed for standing up for these,” added Datuwata.
Calls are intensifying for the Bangsamoro Government, the Department of Justice, the Commission on Human Rights, and other concerned agencies to conduct an independent investigation, bring perpetrators to justice, and implement urgent protective measures for vulnerable NMIP leaders and communities.
As of press time, the South Upi police continue their investigation into the incident. No suspects have been identified or arrested.
For the Teduray-Lambangian and other NMIPs in BARMM, the killing of Nicasio Mindo is not an isolated crime—it is a stark reflection of the ongoing crisis they face in asserting their identity, defending their lands, and seeking justice under a system that has yet to fully recognize and protect them.
“Justice for Nicasio is justice for all NMIPs. We will not be silenced,” Datuwata declared.