Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. commended the military forces in Maguindanao del Sur for the successful arrest of one of the suspects in the beheading of a tribal leader on Sept. 30.
‘I welcome the swift and successful law enforcement operation that resulted in the apprehension of alias Tagal, a key suspect in the brutal murder of IP tribal leader Ramon Lupos in Maguindanao del Sur,’ Galvez said in a statement released by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity.
Specifically, he commended Maj. Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of the 6th Infantry Division; Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade; and the forces of the 90th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Loqui Marco.
Lupos, a former village councilman, was resting in his nipa hut in Barangay Limpongo, Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao del Sur, when gunmen arrived, confronted him, and eventually killed him. Relatives later found him beheaded near his nipa hut.
According to Timuay Labi (tribal chieftain), Leticio Datuwata of the Teduray Indigenous community, Lupos was executed because he refused to vacate his farm that is part of the tribe’s ancestral domain.
Lupos was the 102nd non-Moro indigenous person killed in the Bangsamoro region since 2019, according to Timuay Justice and Governance, which documents harassments and killings against tribal members in the Bangsamoro region.
‘Alias Tagal,’ a suspected member of the extremist Dawlah Islamiyah terrorist group, was arrested during the joint police and Army law enforcement operation in Sitio Pangayawan, Barangay Tukanalugong, Datu Abdullah Sangki town in Maguindanao del Sur, on Oct. 11, or 11 days after Lupos was killed.
Galvez said the arrest of ‘Alias Tagal’ is ‘a clear testament to the government’s unwavering commitment to pursuing justice and ensuring that those who commit heinous crimes, especially against our vulnerable indigenous peoples, are held fully accountable.’
Galvez said the arrest sent a strong message that state forces are determined to ensure public safety and protect all citizens from terrorism and criminality.
‘As we mark Indigenous Peoples Month this October, a time to honor the invaluable heritage and inherent rights of our IPs, the tragic loss of Ramon Lupos – who was reportedly killed while defending his ancestral land – is a somber reminder of the continuing threats they face,’ he added.
‘Lupos represents a continuing challenge we must face head-on,’ Galvez said, adding that the ‘IP rights, their ancestral domains, and their very lives must be secured from all forms of violence, exploitation, and intimidation.’
Galvez also stressed that the pursuit of peace is inseparable from the pursuit of justice.
‘We stand firm against all forces that seek to sow division and fear, and we will ensure the safety and that the rightful claims of IPs to their ancestral domains are fully respected and protected.’
Earlier, Maguindanao Gov. Datu Ali Midtimbang had offered a P100,000 bounty for information leading to the arrest of the men behind the killing of Lupos.
He said the bounty remains for other suspects in the brutal murder of the IP leader./coa