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THE BANGSAMORO
CONFLICT
The
Bangsamoro
Land

Reporting of
the Local
Media

Nature of
Historical Narrative
Conflict
Experience
under Philippine
Rule
The Birth of
Separatist
Groups

Attempts to
solve the
problem

THE BANGSAMORO LAND

Bangsamoro Land was already
a sovereign nation- MNLF
A sovereign nation

19 3 5

No land-titling system

co

tu ti
i
t
s
n

on

Government gave away land

titles

isl
an
ds

25

provinces
Bangsamoro Land comprises Sulu, Mindanao, and
Palawan, and consists of 25 provinces: Agusan del
Norte, Agusan del Sur, Basilan, Bukidnon, Compostela
Valley, Cotabato, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur,
Davao Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur,
Maguindanao, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental,
Palawan, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat,
Sulu, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi,
Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur,
Zamboanga Sibugay.

70
00
+

NATURE OF CONFLICT
Whats it all about?

GOVERNMENT: Integration

BANGSAMORO : Right to
Self- determination

SOME SECTORS:
Muslim-Christian conflict

The Bangsamoro Liberation War stands out among all conflicts because of its
length, that has lasted for 490 years. The struggle continues until today, and
the Muslims have formed many groups to fight for their liberation.

PROBLEM OF INTEGRATION

To the government, it is the problem of integrating the national

cultural communities into the body politic

House of Representatives 1954

Bangsamoro people as poor and lacking education and training. and
this triggers violence in Mindanao.

Policy of Integration
Non-Christian Filipinos and later re-categorized as National Cultural
Minorities, is to render real, complete and permanent their integration
into the Philippine body politic.

Executive Order 122-A as amended by EO 295

The integration policy was reframed after President Ferdinand Marcos
martial law to emphasize the preservation and development of the
culture, traditions, institutions and wellbeing of Muslim Filipinos.

SELF-DETERMINATION
To the Bangsamoro, the problem is the refusal of the central government to
recognize and allow the exercise of their right to self-determination.

House Bill No. 5682

Filed during the Fourth Congress to seek the granting and
recognition of the independence of Sulu.

Mindanao Independence Movement (MIM)

manifesto calling for the independence of Mindanao and Sulu to be
known and referred to as the Republic of Mindanaoand Sulu.

Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) of 1974

the Bangsamoro people...are disbanding all their political,economic and
other bonds with the oppressive government of the Philippines, and
appealing to the international community to accept the Bangsamoro
Republik as one of the members of the family of independent and
sovereign nations in the world.

MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN CONFLICT

Focus on the actors in the conflict,

rather than on the issues involved.

Religious discourses are sometimes used to

win over supporters.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
The Bangsamoro assertion of self-determination is anchored on historical narrative
and consideration of the costs that they pay for being part of the Philippine
republic.
State
formation
and
Governanc
e

Sovereignty

Sulu Sultanate
Magindanaw Sultanate
Confederation of the
Four Lake-based Emirates

Trade and
diplomatic
relations

China
Before new
political entity,
Phil.

Administra
tive and
political
Survived the
systems military campaign of

33% to
39%)

Of Filipinos are
biased against
Muslims.

Western powers
Annexation of their
homeland as illegal
and immora
of their original
homeland remains in
their possession after
several decades of being
part of the Philippines.

1/3

61.8%

Poverty incidence
in 2006. The
government failed
to deliver basic
services and
needed
development

BIRTH OF SEPARATIST GROUPS

1968
At least 28 Muslim
volunteers from Sulu
were killed by
government troops in
an attempt to cover
up the mission's
existence, in what
would popularly be
known as the Jabidah
Massacre.

Some factions within the group

preferred independence over
autonomy; formation of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front.
Birth of Nur Misuaris Moro
National Liberation Front
(MNLF) in 1969
Muammar Gaddafi brokered an
agreement that led to the signing of
the Tripoli Agreement (1976)
Republic Act 6734 created the
Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) (1989)

However, out of the 13 provinces and 9 cities

that participated in the plebiscite, only the
provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu
and Tawi-Tawi opted to be part of the ARMM.

ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM

INTEGRATION
PROGRAMS
1957-Commission on National Integration (CNI)
Southern Philippines Development Authority
(SPDA)
Ministry of Muslim Affairs
Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA
National Commission on Muslim Filipinos

AUTONOMY
EXPERIMENT
1975- Office of the Regional Commissioner
(ORC) for Regions 9 was created by Marcos
1977- Marcos declared autonomy in 13
provinces in Mindanao
1979-Regions 9 and 12 evolved into political
autonomy
1989-The ARMM was established
1996- Government and the MNLF reached the
final agreement on the implementation of the
1976 Tripoli Agreement.

DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
1961- Mindanao Development Authority (MDA)
1970-Presidential Task Force for Reconstruction
and Development
1992-Mindanao Economic Development Council
(MEDCO)
2010-Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA)

INTERFAITH
DIALOGS
1974- The first National Muslim-Christian dialog in
Mindanao was held in Zamboanga City
1996-Defense Secretary Renato De Villa organized
the meeting of ulama and bishops, forming the
Bishop-Ulama Forum (BUF)
Through the mediation of the Organization of
Islamic Conference (OIC), negotiations between the
Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP)
and the MNLF started in January 1975

NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS ON AUTONOMY

Lack of participation by the Bangsamoro in the drafting
of the Organic Act
Problem of representation
The ARMM population is composed of several
ethno-linguistic groups.
Aside from self-determination, the Bangsamoro want to
take charge of the preservation and management of their
territory.
Wealth sharing
A Bangsamoro entity cannot be viable without its income
base. Subsidy from the central government works
counter to the power-sharing principle.

The first film that questions

conventional Philippine
nationalist discourse
The first film to portray the
Bangsa Moro (Moro nation) as a
nation, an historical people
distinct from the majority the
Christian Filipino nation and
justifiably seeking selfdetermination.
Sa loob ng maraming siglo, naging mailap
ang kapayapaan sa pagitan ng mga
Kristiyano at Muslim. Sa Pilipinas, kung
saan nakakarami at namamayani ang mga
Kristiyano, matagal ng ipinaglalaban ng
mga Muslim ang karapatang itaguyod ang
kanilang natatanging kultura at pamahalaan
ang kanilang sarili.

RECENT EFFORTS
ARROYO
ADMINISTRATION
Arroyo announced that the Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim
Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) would be signed on August 5, 2008.
The day before the scheduled signing,the Supreme Court issued a temporary
restraining order against the signing of the MOA-AD.
The Court eventually voted 9-6 to strike down the MOA-AD as unconstitutional.

AQUINO
ADMINISTRATION
GPH, MILF end nego on Framework Agreement to set up Bangsamoro
By Carolyn O. Arguillas on October 7 2012 11:39 am
KUALA LUMPUR (MindaNews/07 October) The Philippine government (GPH) and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will announce before noon today (Sunday) that it has
concluded negotiations on the Framework Agreement that will serve as their roadmap in
establishing a new autonomous political entity that would honor the dignity of and
address the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people.

Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB)

According to the Office on the Presidential Adviser on the Peace
Process,
FAB is a political settlement between the government and the MILF.
It defines the structure and powers of the Bangsamoro entity that will
replace the Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao.
It sets the principles, processes and mechanisms for transition until 2016.
It is a just resolution of the historical divide between the government and
the Bangsamoro.
It puts together the points of consensus achieved in the series of talks
between the GPH-MILF starting from the ceasefire in 1997.
The FAB is NOT YET a final peace agreement. Annexes
The geographical coverage of the Bangsamoro is the current ARMM
provinces and Marawi City, cities of Cotabato and Isabela, the six
municipalities of Baloi, Munar, Pantar, Nanungan, Tagaloan and Tangkal in the
province of Lanao del Norte, the barangays in six municipalities of North
Cotabato that voted for inclusion in ARMM in 2001, other contiguous where
there is a resolution for inclusion from LGUs or a petition of at least 10% of
qualified voters.
Bangsamoro are those who are at the time of conquest or colonization were
considered inhabitants of Mindanao and Sulu archipelago and its adjacent
islands including Palawan.

CRITICISMS ON LOCAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF

THE CONFLICT FROM
Incomplete stories;
lack of context

Ignoring the
historical
context of the
conflict

Has tendency to
pit Christians
against Muslims

Missing
perspective

Use of loaded
language

Giving value to
conflict as news

From Media at work:

Beating the war drums in Mindanao by
Ed Lingao

The truth is it is easier to report about war than to report

about conflict. Yes, there is a difference between the two
kinds of reportage, as any decent and responsible reporter
would or should tell you.
War coverage is the simplified coverage of violence, where
the reporter is relegated to the role of the scorekeeper who
lists the number of dead and wounded while keeping his hair
in place for that all-too-necessary piece-on-cam. Conflict
reporting has to do with understanding why two sides fight,
and what it takes to make them talk and find common
ground.

From Media at work:

Beating the war drums in Mindanao by
Ed Lingao

The truth is it is easier to report about war than to report

about conflict. Yes, there is a difference between the two
kinds of reportage, as any decent and responsible reporter
would or should tell you.
War coverage is the simplified coverage of violence, where
the reporter is relegated to the role of the scorekeeper who
lists the number of dead and wounded while keeping his hair
in place for that all-too-necessary piece-on-cam. Conflict
reporting has to do with understanding why two sides fight,
and what it takes to make them talk and find common
ground.

MILF goes on a rampage

(Star, Oct. 24)
NoMercy:6soldierskilledin
coldblood(Bulletin,Oct.20)

Mga naulila ng mga napatay na sundalo,

naghihintay na sa kanilang mahal sa buhay
[Families of the soldiers in action wait for their
loved ones], (Saksi, Oct. 20)
Habangbinababaangbangkayngmgasundalo,biglang
naghuramentadoangisangbabaengbitbitangisangitak,
asawasiyangisasawalongmgarebeldenanapataydinsa
engkwentro.Nagwalarinangkanyanganak(Whilethe
soldierswerebeingbroughtdown,awomancarryinga
bolokniferanamok.Shewasthewifeofoneoftheeight
rebelskilledintheencounter.Herchildwasalso
enraged).(Bandila,Oct.19)

TV Patrol polls on Oct. 20 and 21:

Dapat na bang suspendihin ng gobyerno ang peace talks at
magdeklara ng all-out war laban sa MILF (Should the
government suspend peace talks and declare an all-out war
against the MILF)?
A: Oo (Yes, 97 percent)
B. Hindi (No, 3 percent)
Sa kabila ng panibagong mga pag-atake ng MILF sa mga
sundalo sa Zamboanga, sang-ayon ba kayo sa desisyon ng
Pang.Aquino na huwag lusubin ang kampo ng MILF sa AlBarka (Despite the recent MILF attacks against soldiers in
Zamboanga, do you agree with the decision of President
Aquino not to attack the MILF camp in Al-Barka)?
A: Oo (Yes, 11 percent)
B. Hindi (No, 89 percent)

Sources:
Lingga, Abhoud Syed M. The Philippine-Bangsamoro Conflict
Center for Strategy, Enterprise & Intelligence
The CenSEI Report Volume 2 - Number 13 April 2-8, 2012
The GRP-MILF MOA on Ancestral Domain. pcdspo.gov.ph
Lingao, Ed. Media at work: Beating the war drums in Mindanao. PJR Reports,
November-December 2011. http://www.cmfr-phil.org/2012/01/09/media-atworkbeating-the-war-drums-in-mindanao/
Lidasan, Amirah Ali. Media can help build peace in Mindanao. PJR Reports OctoberDecember 2012. http://www.cmfr-phil.org/2013/02/20/media-can-help-build-peacein-mindanao/
Raymundo, Kathryn Roja G. Media warmongering: Press calls for more violence in
Mindanao. PJR Reports, November-December 2011