The recent dialogue led by Brigadier General Edgar L. Catu and the 601st Brigade with the Teduray community in Datu Saudi Ampatuan is a welcome gesture of engagement, respect, and recognition. In a region long scarred by violence, displacement, and marginalization, every sincere effort to build trust—especially between state forces and Indigenous Peoples—deserves acknowledgment. The participation of local government units and BARMM ministries further shows a growing awareness that Indigenous political voices cannot be sidelined in peacebuilding.
But while these dialogues foster goodwill, they must not obscure the deeper, unresolved struggle that has defined the lives of the Teduray and Lambangian for generations: their right to self-determination and the long-overdue recognition of their ancestral domain claim. For decades, these communities have fought—often alone, often violently displaced—for land titles, territory, and cultural integrity. This struggle has already cost hundreds of lives. Rice packs for 500 households are appreciated, but they do not replace the homeland repeatedly taken from them. They cannot substitute the justice that has been delayed for too long.
Thus, while the military’s outreach is commendable, its ultimate measure should be whether it helps secure what the Teduray and Lambangian have been crying out for: protection from encroachment, affirmation of their ancestral territories, and recognition of their right to decide their own future. The Armed Forces and the BARMM government are uniquely positioned to help end the cycle of attacks, evacuations, and loss—if they choose to stand firmly with the Indigenous Peoples in pursuing genuine solutions.
Real peace in Maguindanao will not come merely from dialogues or relief efforts. It will come when Indigenous communities no longer live in fear. It will come when their ancestral domain claims—meticulously documented and long validated by their history—are finally approved. And it will come when the state, including its security sector, consistently defends their rights rather than responding only when crises erupt.
The military has taken a good step. Now it must help walk the longer, harder road toward justice—because peace without Indigenous empowerment is peace built on fragile ground.