LAND grabbing remains a persistent issue in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), a tribal supreme council leader said today, September 5.
In a press conference in Cagayan de Oro City, Timuay Labi Letecio Datuwata, supreme chief of Timuay Justice and Governance, said the land grabbing occurs when war forces Indigenous Peoples (IPs) to flee their ancestral domains.
“We are displace by the war, killed by peace,” Datuwata said.
He added: “Doon sila nagbabangayan sa aming lugar. Madi displace ang mga IP. Pag wala na ang IP, may kumukuha na sa lupa.”
For his part, Alim Bandara, a member of Timuay Justice and Governance, said more than 84 IPs have been killed by land grabbers since 2017, not including those caught in crossfire.
Both Datuwata and Bandara said they want the government to recognize their presence and land rights.
Datuwata said their rights as IPs have been compromised and complaints filed with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples have gone unheard.
“Hindi kasi kami harmful,” Datuwata said.
Referring to the upcoming Barmm parliamentary elections, Datuwata said IPs would participate but that they feel like a mere formality.
He compared their Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) to a “flower vase,” noting that they can participate but are not part of the selection process.
Datuwata said the IPS, as outlined in the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, should be the one to convene the tribal assembly.
