Murder of Teduray Leader Sparks Calls for Justice Amid Ongoing Violence in South Upi

COTABATO CITY — The recent killing of Nickasio Tayas Mindo, a former councilman and respected Teduray leader, marks the latest in a series of violent attacks targeting the non-Moro indigenous peoples (NMIPs) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Mindo was ambushed last Friday afternoon in Barangay Romongaob, South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur, by unidentified assailants. His wife, Jenelyn Mutia Gunsi Mindo, a dedicated elementary school teacher, was seriously injured in the attack and remains hospitalized.

South Upi Mayor Helen Benito, a Teduray herself and sister of slain Vice Mayor Roldan Benito, who was killed in a similar ambush last year, issued a strong condemnation of the attack. "It is with great sorrow and outrage that we condemn in the strongest terms the brutal ambush that claimed the life of Mr. Nickasio Tayas Mindo, a respected farmer and former Barangay Kagawad of Pilar, and seriously wounded his wife, Mrs. Jenelyn Mutia Gunsi Mindo," Benito said in a statement.

Mayor Benito emphasized that the attack, which took place in broad daylight in Sitio Lenan while the couple was traveling peacefully, represents an affront to the peace and stability that the community and regional leaders have tirelessly pursued. Mindo was laid to rest on Saturday in Barangay Pilar’s Sitio Saramuray.

She urged law enforcement agencies, including the South Upi police, to expedite efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible. "Violence has no place in our municipality, and we will not allow fear and lawlessness to reign," Benito added.

Highlighting a broader context, Timuay Labi Letecio Datuwata, the Timuay Justice and Governance supreme chieftain, pointed out that all killings of Teduray-Lambangian leaders, local officials, and farmers since BARMM’s establishment in 2019 remain unresolved.

The Teduray Youth group echoed these concerns in a public statement, denouncing what they describe as "seemingly endless violence against Non-Moro indigenous peoples in South Upi." They noted that since 2019, 29 indigenous leaders and farmers have been killed in South Upi alone, part of a total of 93 slain individuals across Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte during the same period.

"Despite this huge number, justice remains elusive and the perpetrators remain scot-free… Where is justice?" the group questioned, underscoring the urgent need for law enforcement and government response to protect NMIP communities in BARMM.