Lake Sebu, South Cotabato – October 27, 2025
Outrage and condemnation mount in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, after at least twelve homes — including a small community church — were allegedly demolished by armed men without prior notice or legal documents in Sitio Te’Ada, Barangay Poblacion, on Wednesday, October 23. The incident, which occurred in the ancestral domain of the T’boli people and in the midst of the Indigenous Peoples’ Month celebration, has sparked renewed calls for justice and protection of indigenous rights.
RJ, a resident of Sitio Te’Ada, shared the family’s painful ordeal on social media: “Hindi ko po ito gustong gawin, pero wala na akong ibang paraan. Gusto ko pong iparating sa lahat ang nangyaring ito — sinira nila ang bahay namin nang walang kahit anong permiso o abiso.” He added that no notice of demolition, document, or legal order was ever presented before the destruction took place.
According to witnesses, around eleven men, some allegedly armed, arrived at noon and began tearing down homes and a small chapel without coordination with residents or local authorities. Families were left helpless, watching as their houses — built through years of hard work — were reduced to rubble.
“This is not just about demolished homes,” RJ said. “It’s about our right as Filipinos, as Indigenous Peoples, to live with dignity and due process on the land of our ancestors.”
Violation of Indigenous Rights
Lake Sebu is a recognized ancestral domain under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (Republic Act 8371), which guarantees the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities to own, develop, and control their ancestral lands. The alleged demolition, carried out without proper notice or legal authority, directly contravenes these protections and highlights the continuing plight of the T’boli people.
The Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) Council of Elders previously investigated the long-standing dispute over Isla Te’Ada and concluded that the land originally belonged to brothers Talabang Lambong and Dagang Lambong, both of whom were illiterate T’boli farmers. According to the Council, the property was illegally transacted by a certain Klaan Awan, who allegedly “sold” the land to a private individual in the 1970s without the knowledge or consent of the rightful owners.
The Council emphasized that ancestral lands are held by native title, not by prescriptive or commercial title, and that any transaction involving these lands without free and prior informed consent is invalid.
A Half-Century Struggle for Justice
The Talabang family’s battle for Isla Te’Ada has stretched over five decades — a story marked by dispossession, intimidation, and neglect by authorities. Records from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the defunct Office of Southern Cultural Communities (OSCC) show that as early as 1974, the family had filed complaints against the illegal occupation of their land. However, the case was never resolved.
“Despite the law that is supposed to protect us, our people continue to lose their homes and land,” said a member of the Talabang clan. “We have been ignored for too long.”
Condemnation During Indigenous Peoples’ Month
Human rights advocates and local organizations have condemned the incident as a “grave insult” to the Indigenous Peoples’ Month celebration, which is meant to honor and uplift the country’s Indigenous communities.
“It is appalling that while the nation celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Month, T’boli families in Lake Sebu are being displaced from their ancestral lands,” said a local advocacy group. “This act is not only illegal but also morally reprehensible. It exposes the hypocrisy of institutions that claim to protect Indigenous Peoples while allowing such injustices to happen.”
Calls for an impartial investigation have been made to the NCIP, the provincial government of South Cotabato, and national human rights bodies to hold those responsible accountable and ensure that the affected families are protected and compensated.
A Call for Accountability and Healing
For the people of Sitio Te’Ada, the destruction of their homes is not merely a loss of property — it is an assault on their heritage and identity. The T’boli families now live in uncertainty, hoping that their pleas will reach those in power.
As the nation marks Indigenous Peoples’ Month, their message resonates deeply: justice cannot be selective, and ancestral domains are not just lands — they are the lifeblood of Indigenous survival and culture.