Once again, government agencies, security forces, and political leaders have spoken. The Police Regional Office in BARMM condemns the killing of Teduray elder Nel (Ramon) Lupos. The 6th Infantry Division denounces it “in the highest terms.” The governor of Maguindanao del Sur pledges a ₱100,000 bounty and tighter security. A Bangsamoro Parliament member calls the act a barbarity that must not be tolerated.
The words are strong. The promises sound firm. Yet the reality remains: Nel Lupos is the 86th Teduray leader murdered in recent years. And still, the killings do not stop.
So we must ask: are these statements enough?
The Empty Refrain of “Condemnation”
How many times must Indigenous Peoples hear the same refrain—“we strongly condemn,” “we vow swift justice,” “we stand in solidarity”—only to bury another elder days, weeks, or months later? If condemnations worked, the Teduray would not be counting their dead into the dozens.
Where are the names of the killers? Where are the arrests? Where are the convictions that should have been made after the 10th, 20th, 50th, or 80th murder? Condemnations without prosecutions are nothing more than rehearsed sympathy.
Promises of Security—After the Fact
The governor has ordered the PNP and AFP to “tighten security.” But why must security always come after a killing? Why are Indigenous families left unprotected until blood is spilled? Every promise of patrols rings hollow when communities are only secured once tragedy has struck. True protection means prevention, not reactive deployment.
Bounties and Rewards—Band-Aids on a Deep Wound
A ₱100,000 bounty has been announced. Yet how many bounties in the past have led to actual justice for slain Teduray leaders? Rewards may encourage tip-offs, but they do not dismantle the deeper structure of impunity. They do not address the root cause of these killings: the unresolved struggle over ancestral domain and the political will to protect IP rights.
The Challenge to BARMM and the State
It is not enough to issue statements. It is not enough to call for vigilance. What Indigenous communities need is:
- Visible arrests and convictions of those who slaughter IP leaders—not just foot soldiers, but the masterminds.
- Permanent security presence in ancestral lands, not temporary patrols after funerals.
- Implementation of Indigenous land rights in practice, not just on paper. The Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples’ Act must not remain a ceremonial law—it must be enforced.
- Direct participation of Indigenous leaders in decisions on land and security, not as token voices but as partners with equal power.
Enough of Words
Nel Lupos’ killing has been condemned from every level of authority—the police, the army, the governor, the Parliament. But the Teduray know better than anyone: condemnations do not bring safety.
Until statements are matched with real action, they are nothing but a script played out after every killing. Until justice is seen—through arrests, trials, and convictions—every vow of solidarity will be an empty promise.
So let us ask the leaders of BARMM, the Philippine government, the AFP, and the PNP:
How many more Teduray must die before your words finally become action?