Talaingod: Even as militant groups on Wednesday reiterated calls for the reversal of the court ruling that found the "Talaingod 13" guilty of child abuse under Republic Act (RA) 7610, a ranking National Task Force Against Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) executive said the court decision is a "victory" not only for Lumad communities in Mindanao but for all Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the country.

According to Philippines News Agency, NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. stated that for more than three decades, many Lumad communities have been treated as pawns by the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army - National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and its legal machinery, drawn into an ideological and political agenda that did not serve their long-term welfare. He also mentioned that IPs were paraded as symbols, mobilized for campaigns, and, in many instances, reduced to milking cows that sustained the movement's operations.

He emphasized that the court's decision sends a strong message that exploitation, even when cloaked in the appearance of advocacy, should be confronted by law. The Court of Appeals (CA), in a decision promulgated on Nov. 27, 2025, affirmed the July 15, 2024, Tagum City Regional Trial Court ruling that convicted Satur Ocampo, France Castro, and 11 others of child abuse.

The Makabayan Bloc has called for the reversal of the ruling, stating that the ruling against the so-called Talaingod 13 is "unjust" as it "punishes humanitarian action and solidarity works for the marginalized, undermines the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and reinforces the use of the justice system to persecute progressive leaders, human rights defenders, and people's organization."

Torres, however, argued that "the ruling is not an assault on activism, dissent, or the right to advocate for indigenous peoples." He clarified that these freedoms remain protected by the Constitution. The conviction stems from specific acts found by the courts to have violated Republic Act 7610, which protects children from abuse, exploitation, and endangerment. He asserted that advocacy does not grant immunity when children are placed at risk, and laws like RA 7610 exist precisely to draw firm boundaries that cannot be crossed, even in the name of politics or ideology.