This is a presentation I gave in Tacloban City on February 5, 2016 in an event organized by the Philippine Information Agency and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. While I also had a presentation on the technical aspects of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, I felt strongly about first providing context on the armed conflict in the Bangsamoro and the rationale for the peace process that seeks to address it.

1. THE ROOT CAUSE
OF ARMED CONFLICT IN THE
BANGSAMORO
HISTORIC INJUSTICE

2. 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)

3. TREATY OF PARIS 1898
SPAIN-UNITED STATES
Incorporation of Mindanao into a new
Philippine state (despite Spain never
having fully exercised sovereignty over it)

4. 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)

5. 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)

6. 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)

7. THE BANGSAMORO STRUGGLE
HISTORIC
INJUSTICE
• political
• economic
PROTRACTED
ARMED
CONFLICT
• MNLF
• MILF

8. 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

9. THE BANGSAMORO QUESTION
INDEPENDENCE
MEANINGFUL
AUTONOMY

10. CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS
AUTONOMY AND SELF-GOVERNANCE

11. 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.”

12. 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.”

13. 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.

14. CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION
Hence, Article X of the Constitution
mandates the grant of “meaningful,
effective and forceful autonomy”

15. AUTONOMOUS REGIONS
Article 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.

16. 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

17. 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

18. THE POLITICAL SETTLEMENT
POWER SHARING ANNEX
WEALTH SHARING ANNEX
• Negotiated settlement
BANGSAMORO BASIC LAW
• Implements the negotiated settlement: ORGANIC ACT

19. AUTONOMOUS REGIONS
CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE X
Section 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

20. 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’ah
justice system;
Potentially more territory and a more cohesive
region

21. THE NORMALIZATION ANNEX:
On the security aspect:
Decommissioning of the MILF
Redeployment of the AFP
Disbandment of PAGs

23. 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

24. 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

25. COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT
ON THE BANGSAMORO:
SIGNED 27 MARCH 2014