THE ROOT CAUSE

OF ARMED CONFLICT IN THE

BANGSAMORO

HISTORIC INJUSTICE

Who is the Bangsamoro?They are the Islamic

populations who originally

inhabited and ruled

Mindanao before Spanish

and American colonial rule.

They are made up of 13

ethno-linguistic groups

(Maguindanaon, Maranao,

Tausug, Yakan,

Iranon/Iranun, Jama Mapun,

Palawani, Kolibugan,

Kalagan, Samal, Sangil,

Molbog, and Badjao)

TREATY OF PARIS 1898

SPAIN-UNITED STATES

Incorporation of Mindanao into a new

Philippine state (despite Spain never

having fully exercised sovereignty over it)

THE BANGSAMORO DILEMMA

IN THE AGE OF THE POST-

COLONIAL GOVERNMENT:

Oppressive national integration policies

Economic exploitation of Mindanao by

external actors (through strategic utilization

of new land laws that dispossessed original

possessors of their land)

Estimated Moro and Non-Moro Population in

Mindanao, 1903-2000

5

Moro Pop. Non-Moro Pop.

Year Mindanao Pop Number % Number %

1903 327,741 250,000 76 77,741 24

1913 518,698 324,816 63 193,882 37

1918 723,655 358,968 50 364,687 50

1939 2,244,421 755,189 34 1,489,232 66

1948 2,943,324 933,101 32 2,010,223 68

1960 5,686,027 1,321,060 23 4,364,967 77

1970 7,963,932 1,669,708 21 6,294,224 79

1975 9,146,995 1,798,991 20 7,348,084 80

1980 10,905,243 2,504,332 23 8,400,911 77

1990 14,269,736 2,690,456 19 11,579,280 81

2000 17,819,899 3,679,228 20.6 14,140,671 79.4

Sources: Che Man (1990); 1990 and 2000 Census (National Statistics Office)

THE BANGSAMORO QUESTION

What is the best way that the

Bangsamoro can assert their “right to

self-determination”

Independence?

How? Protracted war for independence

(MNLF, MILF)

THE BANGSAMORO STRUGGLE

HISTORIC INJUSTICE

• political

• economic

PROTRACTED ARMED

CONFLICT

• MNLF

• MILF

THE COST OF WAR 640 billion pesos in economic losses alone (damage to

property and loss of potential investments and businesses) in

the period from 1970 to 2001

GPH-MILF armed conflict -1970 to 1996: 73 billion pesos

spent in combat expenses, with an estimated 120,000 lives

lost in the same time period

Internally displaced persons: bakwits

2000 All-out-War against the MILF - 982,000 persons

displaced

2008 MOA-AD Supreme Court decision - 600,000 persons

displaced as a result of renewed fighting

THE BANGSAMORO QUESTION

INDEPENDENCE

MEANINGFUL AUTONOMY

CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS

AUTONOMY AND SELF-GOVERNANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION

“certain regions with unique cultural,

historic, social and even religious bonds

where they have been placed in a position

of inferiority relative to dominant groups in

society have the right to demand

autonomy, a measure of self-

determination within the larger political

framework of the nation-state.”

CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION

The framers also noted that the history of

armed struggle in these regions is rooted in

this structural inequality, such that regional

autonomy was discussed as a

“constructive alternative to secessionist

aspirations.”

CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION MR. BENNAGEN: And we are saying that the grant of

regional autonomy here corrects an extremely uneven

development across regions...That some kind of evening

of the development process will take place. We are saying

that the regional autonomy structure will facilitate that

catching up with the development process in the more

developed regions, because the regional autonomy

structure will be more responsive to the particularities of

the region, both culturally and geographically, which is to

say ecologically.

CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION

Hence, Article X of the Constitution

mandates the grant of “meaningful,

effective and forceful autonomy”

AUTONOMOUS REGIONSArticle X (Local Government): Autonomy

Section 15. There shall be created autonomous regions

in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras consisting of

provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas

sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural

heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant

characteristics within the Framework of this Constitution and

the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the

Republic of the Philippines.

DEALING WITH THE ROOT

CAUSE OF CONFLICT

HISTORIC

INJUSTICE and

STRUCTURAL

VIOLENCE

Political

marginalization

Economic

marginalization

THE CREATION OF

AN AUTONOMOUS

REGIONAL

GOVERNMENT

RESPONSIVE TO

THE ASPIRATIONS

OF THE

BANGSAMORO

PEOPLE

THE COMPREHENSIVE

AGREEMENT ON THE

BANGSAMORO

Transitional

Arrangements

and Modalities

Revenue

Generation

and

Wealth

Sharing

Power

Sharing

BM

waters

FRAMEWORK

AGREEMENT

ON THE

BANGSAMORO

Normalization

THE POLITICAL SETTLEMENT

POWER SHARING ANNEX

WEALTH SHARING ANNEX

• Negotiated settlement

BANGSAMORO BASIC LAW

• Implements the negotiated settlement: ORGANIC ACT

AUTONOMOUS REGIONS

CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE XSection 18. The Congress shall enact an organic act for each autonomous region with the assistance and participation of the regional consultative commission composed of representatives appointed by the President from a list of nominees from multi-sectoral bodies. The organic act shall define the basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assembly, both of which shall be elective and representative of the constituent political units. The organic acts shall likewise provide for special courts with personal, family, and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national laws

What would make the

Bangsamoro Government

different from the ARMM

Government?A parliamentary form of government

Greater fiscal autonomy through the system of annual block grants and expanded sources of revenues

More devolved powers: e.g., over natural resources such as mines and energy, and Shari’ahjustice system;

Potentially more territory and a more cohesive region

THE NORMALIZATION ANNEX:

On the security aspect:

Decommissioning of the MILF

Redeployment of the AFP

Disbandment of PAGs

THE NORMALIZATION ANNEX:

On the socio-economic aspect

Socio-economic development programs for the Bangsamoro, with special focus on BIAF members, internally-displaced persons, and poverty-stricken communities

On the transitional justice aspect

Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission

The signing of the Comprehensive

Agreement on the

Bangsamoro in March 2014 has

been described as “a bright spot” in

the midst of armed conflicts in other

parts of the globe involving

extremist groups

COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT

ON THE BANGSAMORO: SIGNED 27 MARCH 2014