The Moro conflict
is an
insurgency
An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregu ...
in the
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
region of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, which has involved multiple armed groups, and has been ongoing since March 1968.
Peace deals have been signed between the
Philippine government and two major armed groups, the
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),
but other smaller armed groups continue to exist.
The root cause of the
Moro conflict is associated in a
long history of resistance by the Bangsamoro people against foreign rule, including the
American annexation of the Philippines
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
in 1898; Moro resistance against the Philippine government has persisted ever since.
During the
administration of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martia ...
, political tensions and open hostilities developed between the Philippine government and
Moro Muslim rebel groups.
The Moro insurgency was triggered
by the
Jabidah massacre on March 18, 1968, during which 60
Filipino Muslim commandos on a planned
operation to reclaim the eastern part of the Malaysian state of
Sabah
Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...
were killed.
Various organizations pushing for Moro self rule, either through autonomy or independence, were almost immediately formed in response,
although these generally did not last long until
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
professor
Nur Misuari
Nur Misuari ( Tausug: ''Nūr Miswāri'', born Nurallaji Pinang Misuari; March 3, 1939) is a Moro Filipino revolutionary and politician, founder and leader of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Early and Personal life
Nur Misuari was born o ...
established the
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), an armed insurgent group committed to establishing an independent
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
, in 1972. In the following years, the MNLF splintered into several different groups including the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which sought to establish an Islamic state within the Philippines. When the MILF modified its demands from independence to autonomy in the late 2008, a faction led by
Ameril Umbra Kato disagreed, eventually forming the
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in 2010.
Casualty statistics vary for the conflict, though the conservative estimates of the
Uppsala Conflict Data Program indicate that at least 6,015 people were killed in armed conflict between the government of the Philippines and the
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf (; ar, جماعة أبو سياف; ', ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is ba ...
(ASG), BIFF, MILF, and MNLF factions between 1989 and 2012.
Origins
The
Moro people have had a history of resistance against foreign rule for more than 400 years. During the
Spanish–Moro conflict, Spain repeatedly tried to conquer the Moro
Sultanate of Sulu,
Sultanate of Maguindanao, and the Confederation of sultanates in Lanao like what it did with the former Muslim
Rajahnate of Maynila
In early Philippine history, the Tagalog Bayan ("country" or "city-state") of Maynila ( tl, Bayan ng Maynila; Pre-virama Baybayin: ) was a major Tagalog city-state on the southern part of the Pasig River delta, where the district of Intram ...
(As the Rajah of Manila,
Rajah Matanda
Rajah Ache ( Abecedario: ''Rája Aché'' pronounced ''Aki''), better known by his title Rajah Matanda (1480–1572), was one of the rulers of Maynila, a pre-colonial Indianized and Islamized Tagalog polity along the Pasig River in what is now ...
was a grandson of the Sultan of Brunei, "Sultan Bolkiah" and a Princess of Sulu "Dayang-dayang Laila Machanai"). Although Spain succeeded in supplanting Islam in Manila and Mindoro, they failed against the Muslims in the South. The armed struggle against the Spanish, Americans, Japanese, and Christian Filipinos is considered by current Moro Muslim leaders to be part of a four-century-long "national liberation movement" of the Bangsamoro (Moro Nation).
The foundations of the modern conflict can be traced to the Spanish and American wars against the Moros. Following the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (cl ...
in 1898, another conflict sparked in the southern Philippines between the revolutionary
Muslims in the Philippines and the
United States military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
that took place between 1899 and 1913. On August 14, 1898, after defeating Spanish forces, the United States claimed the Philippines as its territory under the
Treaty of Paris of 1898
The Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898 ( fil, Kasunduan sa Paris ng 1898; es, Tratado de París de 1898), was a treaty signed by Spain and the United Stat ...
, establishing a military government under General
Wesley Merritt as
Military Governor. Filipinos immediately opposed foreign rule by the United States.
American forces took control from the Spanish government in
Jolo on May 18, 1899, and at
Zamboanga in December 1899. Brigadier General
John C. Bates was sent to negotiate a treaty with the
Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram II. Kiram was disappointed by the American takeover, as he expected to regain sovereignty after the defeat of Spanish forces in the archipelago. Bates' main goal was to guarantee Moro neutrality in the
Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
, and to establish order in the southern Philippines. After some negotiation, the Bates Treaty was signed, which was based on an earlier Spanish treaty. The Bates Treaty did ensure the neutrality of the Muslims in the south, but it was actually set up to buy time for the Americans until the war in the north ended. On March 20, 1900, Bates was replaced by Brigadier General
William August Kobbé
William August Kobbé (10 May 1840, in New York City – 1 November 1931) was a United States Army officer.
Biography
His father of the same name was a German emigrant to the United States, and for many years consul general of the duchy of Nassa ...
and the District of Mindanao-Jolo was upgraded to a full department. American forces in Mindanao were reinforced and hostilities with the Moro people lessened, although there are accounts of Americans and other civilians being attacked and slain by Moros.
The American invasion began in 1904 and ended at the term of Major General
John J. Pershing
General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was a senior United States Army officer. He served most famously as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Wes ...
, the third and final military governor of Moro Province, although major resistance continued in
Mount Bagsak
Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest.
Mount or Mounts may also refer to:
Places
* Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England
* Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...
and
Bud Dajo in
Jolo; in the latter, the United States military killed hundreds of Moro in the
Moro Crater massacre. After the war, in 1915, the Americans imposed the Carpenter Treaty on Sulu.
Repeated rebellions by the Moros against American rule continued to break out even after the main Moro Rebellion ended, right up to the
Japanese occupation of the Philippines
The Japanese occupation of the Philippines ( Filipino: ''Pananakop ng mga Japones sa Filipinas''; ja, 日本のフィリピン占領, Nihon no Firipin Senryō) occurred between 1942 and 1945, when Imperial Japan occupied the Commonwealth of t ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. During the Japanese invasion, the Moros
waged an insurgency against the Japanese on Mindanao and Sulu until Japan surrendered in 1945. Moro
Juramentados attacked the Spanish, Americans,
Philippine Constabulary
The Philippine Constabulary (PC; tl, Hukbóng Pamayapà ng Pilipinas, ''HPP''; es, Policía de Filipinas, ''PF'') was a gendarmerie-type police force of the Philippines from 1901 to 1991, and the predecessor to the Philippine National Pol ...
, and the Japanese.
History
The
American colonial government and subsequently the
Philippine government pursued a policy of intra-ethnic migration by resettling significant numbers of
Christian Filipino
The Philippines is ranked as the 5th largest Christian-majority country on Earth , with about 93% of the population being adherents. , it was the third largest Catholic country in the world and was one of two predominantly Catholic nations ...
settlers from the
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands ( Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, i ...
and
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, ...
onto tracts of land in
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
, beginning in the 1920s. This policy allowed Christian Filipinos to outnumber both the Moro and
Lumad
The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
populations by the 1970s, which was a contributing factor in aggravating grievances between the Moro and Filipino Christian settlers as disputes over land increased. Another grievance by the Moro people is the extraction of Mindanao's natural resources by the central government whilst many Moros continued to live in poverty.
Moro Muslims and Lumads were largely supplanted during the Spanish and American colonization programs, with Christian Filipino settlers eventually taking control of key areas along newly built roads and disrupting traditional Moro administrative structures and control over resources. The Americans preferred Christians to become administrators of newly defined townships instead of Lumad and Moro, with environmental degradation resulting from unsustainable population growth (due to the influx of settler migrants) and timber logging.
Marcos (1965–1986)
Jabidah massacre
The active phase of the Moro conflict is attributed to news about the
Jabidah massacre in March 1968 – towards the end of the first term of
President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martia ...
.
A senate exposé based on the testimony of an alleged survivor claimed that at least 11 Filipino Muslim military trainees had been killed in
Corregidor
Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historicall ...
by soldiers of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...
.
The trainees had been brought the island of
Corregidor
Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historicall ...
to form a secret
commando
40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations forc ...
unit called "Jabidah," which would infiltrate, destabilize, and take over
Sabah
Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...
.
The trainees eventually rejected their mission, for reasons that are still debated by historians today. A survivor, Jibin Arula, said that whatever the reasons behind their objections, all of the recruits aside from him were killed, and he escaped only by pretending to be dead.
The news created unrest among Filipino Muslims, especially among students.
Both Muslim intellectuals and common people suddenly became politicized, discrediting the idea of finding integration and accommodation with the rest of the country, and creating a sense of marginalization.
Formation of early separatist movements and the MNLF
Various organizations pushing for Moro self rule, either through autonomy or independence, were soon formed.
Lanao del Sur congressman
Haroun al-Rashid Lucman
Haroun al-Rashid Lucman (June 23, 1924 – July 21, 1984) was a Filipino legislator, journalist, World War II guerilla hero, and an early proponent of Moro independence or autonomy.
As congressional representative of Lanao del Sur, he is best rem ...
called for
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
to begin proceedings to
impeach President Marcos, and ended up establishing the
Bangsamoro Liberation Organization (BMLO) in frustration after the impeachment effort couldn't gather enough congressional support.
Cotabato Governor Datu Udtog Matalam
established the
Muslim Independence Movement (MIM), which openly called for the
secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics l ...
of the region to create a Muslim state, although it only lasted until Matalam negotiated with Marcos and accepted a post in the administration cabinet.
On October 21, 1972,
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
professor
Nur Misuari
Nur Misuari ( Tausug: ''Nūr Miswāri'', born Nurallaji Pinang Misuari; March 3, 1939) is a Moro Filipino revolutionary and politician, founder and leader of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Early and Personal life
Nur Misuari was born o ...
formed the
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which sought the establishment of a
Moro republic through the force of arms,
attracting many members who broke away from the MIM.
Battles and massacres
During one of the fiercest battles of the insurgency in 1974,
Jolo was
extensively damaged and news of the tragedy galvanized other
Muslims around the world to pay greater attention to the conflict. Many civilians were supposedly killed when the
Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
razed much of
Jolo municipality to the ground in a scorched-earth tactic. On September 24, 1974, the
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army (PA) (Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the A ...
killed at least 1,000 Moro civilians who were praying in a mosque in what is known as the
Malisbong massacre
The Malisbong Masjid or H. Hamsa Tacbil Mosque massacre, also called the Palimbang massacre, was the mass murder of Muslim Moros by units of the Philippine military on September 24, 1974, in the coastal village of Malisbong in Palimbang, Sulta ...
. Two years later, the Philippine government and the MNLF signed the Tripoli Agreement, declaring a ceasefire on both sides. The agreement provided that Mindanao would remain a part of the Philippines, but that 13 of its provinces would be governed by an
autonomous government for the Bangsamoro people.
President Marcos later reneged on the agreement, and violence ensued.
Formation of the Ilaga
The Philippine government allegedly encouraged Christian settlers in Mindanao to form a militia called the
Ilaga to fight the Moros. The Ilaga engaged in killings and human rights abuses and were responsible for the
Manili massacre of 65 Moro Muslim civilians in a mosque in June 1971, including women and children. The Ilaga allegedly also engaged in cannibalism, cutting off the body parts of their victims to eat in rituals.
Formation of the MILF
In 1978, Sheikh Salamat Hashim established the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a splinter group of the MNLF seeking to establish an Islamic state.
Conflicts between these rebel groups and the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...
continued until the end of President Marcos' regime. From 1972 to 1980, at least 50,000 people were killed in the conflict, one million people were internally displaced, and more than 100,000 Philippine Muslims fled by boat to Malaysia.
C. Aquino and Ramos (1986–1998)
Creation of the ARMM
Earlier in her term,
President Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People ...
arranged a meeting with MNLF chairman Nur Misuari and several MNLF rebel groups in
Sulu, which paved the way for a series of negotiations. In 1989, the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( tl, Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Muslim Mindanao; ar, الحكم الذاتي الاقليمي لمسلمي مندناو ''Al-ḥukm adh-dhātī al-'iqlīmī li-muslimī Mindanāu''; abbreviated as ARMM) was ...
(ARMM) was created under Republic Act No. 6734 or the ARMM Organic Act, pursuant to the
1987 Constitution.
Under the
Presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by ...
of
Fidel V. Ramos, several negotiations and peace talks
were held and the ARMM solidified and was to have its own geopolitical system.
Formation of the Abu Sayyaf Group
In 1991, Abdurajak Janjalani, a former teacher who had studied
Islam in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
, formed the
Abu Sayyaf Group after reportedly meeting
Osama bin Laden in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...
in the 1980s. Janjalani recruited former members of the MNLF for the more radical and theocratic Abu Sayyaf.
Estrada (1998–2001)
Estrada's "All Out War" policy
During his term, President
Joseph Ejercito Estrada declared an "all-out war" against the
MILF on March 21, 2000, although a series of negotiations for cessation of hostilities were held.
Apparently, several conflicts in and around Mindanao erupted and clashes between the
Philippine military
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...
and the rebel groups resulted in substantial loss of life.
During Estrada's term, the rebel groups kidnapped three
Italian priests, two of whom were later released and one shot dead;
seized the municipal hall of
Talayan,
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 t ...
, and
Kauswagan,
Lanao del Norte; bombed the RORO ferry M/V ''Our Lady of Mediatrix'' at
Ozamiz; and took over Narciso Ramos Highway. All these incidents resulted in massive loss of investments abroad, especially in the area of Mindanao.
As a result, the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...
launched a successful campaign against the rebel groups; 43 minor camps, 13 major camps including the MILF headquarters, and Camp Abubakar
fell. The MILF suffered heavy losses and the head of the MILF, Sheikh Salamat Hashim, fled the country and sought refuge in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. On October 5, 2000, 609 rebels surrendered in
Cagayan de Oro, along with renegade town mayor Mulapandi Cosain Sarip. This was followed by another surrender of 855 rebels on December 29, 2000. President Estrada then ordered that the
Philippine flag be raised in Mindanao, which symbolized victory. It was raised on July 9, 2000, near a
Madh'hab
A ( ar, مذهب ', , "way to act". pl. مَذَاهِب , ) is a school of thought within '' fiqh'' (Islamic jurisprudence).
The major Sunni Mathhab are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali.
They emerged in the ninth and tenth centuries ...
and again the next day for President Estrada, who held a feast inside a classroom just meters away from a mosque.
Retaliatory attacks
As a result, several Islamic rebel groups retaliated,
bombing several key locations within the
National Capital Region on December 30, 2000, resulting in 22 deaths and hundreds of people injured. Saifullah Yunos, one of the perpetrators, was arrested in
Cagayan de Oro as he was about to board a plane bound for Manila in May 2003.
In 2004, two members of the
Jemaah Islamiyah were arrested, namely Mamasao Naga and Abdul Pata, as they were identified by
Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi as responsible for the train bombing.
Al-Ghozi was also arrested, but was later killed in a firefight when he tried to escape from prison on October 13, 2003.
Macapagal Arroyo (2001–2010)
On May 27, 2001, the Abu Sayyaf
seized twenty hostages from an upscale resort in
Palawan
Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in ...
. Four of the hostages managed to escape.
The kidnapping group composed of 40 gunmen then seized the Dr. Jose Torres Memorial Hospital and St. Peter's Church compound in the town of
Lamitan in
Basilan
Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan ( cbk, Provincia de Basilan; yka, Wilayah Basilanin; tsg, Wilaya' sin Basilan; fil, Lalawigan ng Basilan), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Re ...
and claimed to have taken captive 200 people, although 20 people were confirmed to be taken captive inside the hospital, including the staff and the patients.
There was a crossfire between the Philippine Army and
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf (; ar, جماعة أبو سياف; ', ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is ba ...
rebels in
Lamitan following the hospital takeover which resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers, including the army captain.
Up to 22 soldiers were reportedly killed in an effort to rescue the hostages.
Five more captives escaped during the battle at Lamitan. Two of the captives were killed prior to the siege in Lamitan, including one beheading.
The Abu Sayyaf then conducted a
series of raids, including one at a coconut plantation
where the rebel groups hacked the heads of two men using
bolo knives. The owners and a security guard were also held captive and the rebel groups burned down two buildings, including a
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common typ ...
, a week after the battle in
Lamitan.
Another raid was conducted on August 2, 2001, on Barangay Balobo in
Lamitan,
Basilan
Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan ( cbk, Provincia de Basilan; yka, Wilayah Basilanin; tsg, Wilaya' sin Basilan; fil, Lalawigan ng Basilan), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Re ...
. After three days, the Philippine Army rescued numerous hostages
after they overtook the hideout of the militants, where 11 bodies were found beheaded. Other hostages were either released or had escaped.
On June 13, 2001, the number of hostages was calculated at around 28, as three more people were found beheaded in
Basilan
Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan ( cbk, Provincia de Basilan; yka, Wilayah Basilanin; tsg, Wilaya' sin Basilan; fil, Lalawigan ng Basilan), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Re ...
,
including Guillermo Sobero.
They were beheaded since the Philippine Army would not halt the rescue operation.
The Burnhams were still in the group of 14 still held captive, according to three hostages who escaped in October 2001.
On June 7, 2002, after a year of the hostages being held captive, a rescue mission was conducted resulting in the deaths of Martin Burnham and a nurse named Ediborah Yap
after they were caught in the crossfire. Martin was killed by three gunshots to the chest while Gracia Burnham was wounded in her right leg. By this time Nur Misuari ordered his supporters to attack government targets to prevent the
holding of elections on ARMM in November 2001, ushering his exit as the governor of the region.
Misuari would be later arrested in 2007 in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and was deported back to the Philippines for trial.
In July 2004, Gracia Burnham testified at a trial of eight Abu Sayyaf members, identifying six of the suspects as being her former captors, including Alhamzer Limbong, Abdul Azan Diamla, Abu Khari Moctar, Bas Ishmael, Alzen Jandul and Dazid Baize. Fourteen Abu Sayyaf members were sentenced to
life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed te ...
while four were
acquitted
In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as criminal law is concerned. The finality of an acquittal is dependent on the jurisdiction. In some countries, such as the ...
. Alhamzer Limbong was later killed in a
prison uprising
A prison riot is an act of concerted defiance or disorder by a group of prisoners against the prison administrators, prison officers, or other groups of prisoners.
Prison riots have not been the subject of many academic studies or research inqui ...
.
These rebel groups, especially the
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf (; ar, جماعة أبو سياف; ', ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is ba ...
, conducted several terror attacks, namely the
bombings at Zamboanga in October 2002; the
bombing of SuperFerry 14 in February 2004; the
simultaneous bombings in Central Mindanao in October 2006; the
beheadings of several Philippine Marines in July 2007; the
Batasang Pambansa bombing in November 2007; and the 2009
bombings in Mindanao.
One thousand
MILF rebels under the command of
Umbra Kato
Ameril Umbra Kato (18 May 1946 – 14 April 2015) was the founder of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a group which seceded from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He joined the MILF in or around 1985, after he graduated from ...
have seized control of thirty-five villages in the
North Cotabato
Cotabato or North Cotabato ( hil, Aminhan Cotabato; ceb, Amihanang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pangutaran Kutawatu'', Jawi: ڤڠوترن كوتاواتو; fil, Hilagang Cotabato), officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in ...
province. Two thousand Philippine troops with helicopters and artillery were sent into the seized area on August 9 to liberate it from the rebels. The MILF had wanted North Cotabato to be included in the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( tl, Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Muslim Mindanao; ar, الحكم الذاتي الاقليمي لمسلمي مندناو ''Al-ḥukm adh-dhātī al-'iqlīmī li-muslimī Mindanāu''; abbreviated as ARMM) was ...
. The government and MILF had been negotiating for the inclusion of the province in the Muslim Autonomous Region but the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
had struck down the proposal after hearing concerns from local Christian leaders in the region.
The rebel troops were ordered to leave the area by their commanders, but the contingents under Kato refused to leave the villages they had occupied and instead dug in. The Philippine Army responded on August 9 by bombarding them. The next day, the government forces moved to retake the villages, recapturing two of them from the rebels.
Numerous clashes erupted between the Philippine Army and rebel groups, such as the clash on June 14, 2009, that killed 10 rebels.
Between 2002 and 2015, the Philippines and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
were part of a joint military campaign against Islamist terrorism known as
Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines. This was part of the
War on Terror
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
.
Benigno Aquino (2010–2016)
Peace talks and Aquino-Murad meeting
During the term of
President Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
, a series of peace talks for the cessation of hostilities was held, including the meeting of
MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ibrahim in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
,
Japan which was lauded on both sides.
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
also joined the
International Monitoring Team
The International Monitoring Team (IMT) was a monitoring team composed of 60 members headquartered in Cotabato City, Mindanao of the Philippines to monitor the implementation of peace between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and one of the ...
(IMT) in January 2011, overseeing the ceasefire agreement between the government and MILF on
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
. Despite the peace talks, a series of conflicts erupted. On September 10, 2011, Jal Idris, a hardcore member of Abu Sayyaf, was arrested by government forces after a crossfire between the
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army (PA) (Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the A ...
and the rebel group The
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...
also killed three Abu Sayyaf militants in a stand-off the day after the arrest of Jal Idris.
Terrorism continued throughout President Aquino's term. Notable cases include when four merchants and a guide were killed by Abu Sayyaf bandits in January 2011. Later a soldier was killed in a clash against the rebels. In August 2011, rebel factions attacked a village in
Sulu, killing seven Marines and taking seven civilians captive. They later freed two of the hostages after a ransom was paid. Also, several areas of Mindanao were bombed in August by the government, and a Filipino businesswoman was abducted in September 2011, who was later freed after the three gunmen were gunned down by the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...
.
On October 20, 2011, the MILF was blamed for an attack on 40 government soldiers in the province of
Basilan
Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan ( cbk, Provincia de Basilan; yka, Wilayah Basilanin; tsg, Wilaya' sin Basilan; fil, Lalawigan ng Basilan), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Re ...
, which led to the deaths of 19 soldiers and six MILF fighters. This violated the ceasefire agreement between the government and MILF, which caused outrage in the government and led to the continuation of the war against
terrorism in the country.
In February 2013, two main camps of the Abu Sayyaf group were overrun by forces of the
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in its latest offensive in
Patikul. According to MNLF leader Nur Misuari, the MNLF offensive against the Abu Sayyaf is because of the MNLF opposition to the Abu Sayyaf's human rights abuses, which go against
Islam.
Zamboanga City crisis
The
Zamboanga City crisis
The Zamboanga City crisis ( Filipino: ''Krisis sa Zamboanga;'' Chavacano: ''Crisis na Zamboanga'') or Zamboanga Siege was an armed conflict in Zamboanga City, Philippines between the government forces of the Philippines and Moro rebels from ...
erupted on September 9, 2013, when a MNLF faction known by other groups as the Rogue MNLF Elements (RME), under the Sulu State Revolutionary Command (SSRC), led by Ustadz Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibon attempted to raise the flag of the self-proclaimed
Bangsamoro Republik at
Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippi ...
Hall (which had earlier declared its independence on August 12, 2013, in Talipao, Sulu), and took civilians hostage. This armed incursion was met by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), which sought to free the hostages and expel the MNLF from the city. The standoff degenerated into urban warfare, and had brought parts of the city under a standstill for days. On September 28, the government declared the end of military operations in Zamboanga City after successfully defeating the MNLF and rescuing all the hostages.
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro
On January 24, 2014, the Philippines government chief negotiator
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and MILF chief negotiator
Murad Ebrahim signed a peace agreement in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
. The agreement would pave the way for the creation of the new Muslim autonomous entity called "Bangsamoro" under a law to be approved by the Philippine Congress. The government aims to set up the region by 2016. The agreement calls for Muslim self-rule in parts of the southern Philippines in exchange for a deactivation of rebel forces by the MILF. MILF forces would turn over their firearms to a third party to be selected by the MILF and the Philippine government. A regional police force would be established, and the Philippine military would reduce the presence of troops and help disband private armies in the area.
On March 27, 2014, the peace process concluded with the signing of the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the
Government of the Philippines
The Government of the Philippines ( fil, Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas) has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and de ...
and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' claimed that the
peace deal between the Philippines and MILF "seeks to bring prosperity to the restive south and weaken the appeal of the extremist groups", and linked the winding down of
an American military counterterrorism operation to increased American military cooperation with the Philippines against China. ''The New York Times'' hailed Mr Aquino's peace agreement as an "accomplishment" as it reported on Aquino raising the alarm on China in the South China Sea. ''The New York Times'' editorial board published an article siding with the Philippines against China in the South China Sea dispute and supporting the Philippines' actions against China. ''The New York Times'' editorial board endorsed aggressive American military action against China in the South China Sea.
Abu Sayyaf association with ISIL
On July 23, 2014,
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf (; ar, جماعة أبو سياف; ', ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is ba ...
leader Isnilon Hapilon swore loyalty to
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ( ar, أبو بكر البغدادي, ʾAbū Bakr al-Baḡdādī; born Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri al-Samarrai ( ar, إبراهيم عواد إبراهيم علي محمد البدري السامرائي, ʾIb ...
in a video, along with the rest of the organization, giving ISIL a presence in the Philippines.
In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people to ransom, in the name of ISIL.
Mamasapano clash
On January 25, 2015, the Philippine National Police's
Special Action Force (SAF) conducted
an operation to capture
Abdul Basit Usman and
Marwan in
Mamasapano, Maguindanao
Mamasapano, officially the Municipality of Mamasapano (Maguindanaon: ''Ingud nu Mamasapano''; Iranun: ''Inged a Mamasapano''; tl, Bayan ng Mamasapano), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. According to ...
. They were trapped between the
MILF's 105th Base Command, the BIFF, and several armed groups. Forty four SAF members were killed on what is known as the
Mamasapano clash, but they were able to eliminate Marwan. Alleged United States involvement in the botched operation would likely be a setback for a so-called Asian "pivot" by the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
.
In February 2015, the BIFF unsuccessfully fought for territory in the boundary of
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 t ...
and
North Cotabato
Cotabato or North Cotabato ( hil, Aminhan Cotabato; ceb, Amihanang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pangutaran Kutawatu'', Jawi: ڤڠوترن كوتاواتو; fil, Hilagang Cotabato), officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in ...
provinces. Subsequently, the Philippine Army, along with the Philippine Marines, declared a state of all-out-war against the BIFF. MILF forces were pulled out to prevent them from falling victim to the fighting.
Rodrigo Duterte (2016–2022)
The MILF and MNLF have expressed their commitment to peace and in finally ending the 47-year-old insurgency while the offensive against Abu Sayyaf and other splinter groups have continued, with skirmishes in
Jolo,
Basilan
Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan ( cbk, Provincia de Basilan; yka, Wilayah Basilanin; tsg, Wilaya' sin Basilan; fil, Lalawigan ng Basilan), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Re ...
and other parts of Mindanao. A
bombing in Davao City in September 2016 killed 15 people. Elsewhere, on May 23, 2017, the
Maute group
The Maute group ( or ), also known as the Islamic State of Lanao, was a radical Islamist group composed of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas and foreign fighters led by Omar Maute, the alleged founder of a ''Dawlah Islamiya'', ...
attacked Marawi. President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
declared
Proclamation No. 216
Proclamation No. 216 was the 2017 proclamation of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao amid clashes between government forces and Maute group terrorists in Marawi, issued by Philipp ...
, which placed the whole of Mindanao under a state of
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
and suspended
the writ of habeas corpus. Clashes continued until October 2017 as the battle for Marawi City pitted Islamic militants against the Philippine government forces. Violence was severe. The government used heavy artillery and air strikes to shell Abu Sayyaf and Maute positions while the militant groups resorted to executing captured Christians. In 2018, two bombing incidents involving Abu Sayyaf and the
BIFF occurred,
one
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
in
Lamitan,
Basilan
Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan ( cbk, Provincia de Basilan; yka, Wilayah Basilanin; tsg, Wilaya' sin Basilan; fil, Lalawigan ng Basilan), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Re ...
and
two separate incidents in
Isulan,
Sultan Kudarat
Sultan Kudarat, officially the Province of Sultan Kudarat ( hil, Kapuoran sang Sultan Kudarat; Maguindanaon: ''Dairat nu Sultan Kudarat'', Jawi: دايرت نو سلطان كودرت; ceb, Lalawigan sa Sultan Kudarat; tl, Lalawigan ng Sult ...
.
On July 26, 2018, Duterte signed the
Bangsamoro Organic Law
The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL; fil, Batayang Batas para sa Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Bangsamoro), also known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), and officially designated as Republic Act No. 11054, is a Philippine law that provided for the establis ...
,
which abolished the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( tl, Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Muslim Mindanao; ar, الحكم الذاتي الاقليمي لمسلمي مندناو ''Al-ḥukm adh-dhātī al-'iqlīmī li-muslimī Mindanāu''; abbreviated as ARMM) was ...
and provided for the basic structure of government for the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, following the agreements set forth in the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro peace agreement signed between the
Government of the Philippines
The Government of the Philippines ( fil, Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas) has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and de ...
under President Benigno Aquino III and the MILF in 2014.
From June 2019 to May 2022, as part of the "normalization process" of the Bangsamoro's war-to-peace transition, a total of about 19,200 former MILF combatants and 2,100 weapons were
decommissioned.
As a result of two heavily armed Moro group clash hundreds of locals of Cotabato city were forced out of the area.
See also
*
Islam in the Philippines
Islam was the first-recorded monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the Philippines in the 14th century with the arrival of Muslim traders from the Persian Gulf, southern India, and their followers from several sultanates ...
*
Communist rebellion in the Philippines
*
Cross border attacks in Sabah
*
History of the Philippines
Earliest hominin activity in the Philippine archipelago is dated back to at least 709,000 years ago. '' Homo luzonensis'', a species of archaic humans, was present on the island of Luzon at least 67,000 years ago. The earliest known anatomically ...
*
Moro people
*
Moro Rebellion
The Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) was an armed conflict between the Moro people and the United States military during the Philippine–American War.
The word "Moro" – the Spanish word for "Moor" – is a term for Muslim people who ...
*
Peace process with the Bangsamoro in the Philippines
In the late 1960s, an independence movement was founded in Mindanao, the Philippines to separate the Muslim majority- Moro areas from the rest of the Philippines.
In late 1968, at least 28 Muslim volunteers from Sulu who were being trained for a ...
*
Refugees of the Philippines
*
Rohingya conflict
*
South Thailand insurgency
*
Spanish–Moro Wars
*
Terrorism in the Philippines
Terrorism is a major social issue in the Philippines and it is linked to the Moro conflict and the communist rebellion. The country ranks in 16th place on the Global Terrorism Index's 2022 list of countries most affected by terrorism.
Legal ...
References
*
*
*
External links
Moro National Liberation FrontMoro Bloggers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moro conflict
20th century in the Philippines
21st century in the Philippines
Military history of the Philippines
Military history of Malaysia
History of the Philippines (1965–1986)
History of the Philippines (1986–present)
Moro people
Rebellions in the Philippines
Wars involving the Philippines
Insurgencies in Asia
Violence against indigenous peoples