Scribd
Upload
2K views1 page

Understanding MILF and MNLF Dynamics

The brownbag session aims to deepen understanding of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) for OPAPP personnel. The document traces the history of the Bangsamoro struggle against Spanish and American colonization. It discusses the formation of the MNLF after the 1968 Jabidah massacre and the MILF in 1984 in response to the 1976 Tripoli Agreement between the MNLF and Marcos government. The MILF is analyzed as a relatively stable and organized group compared to the MNLF. Its organizational structure and role in peace negotiations is seen as helping solidify the peace process with the recent Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Uploaded by

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2K views1 page

Understanding MILF and MNLF Dynamics

The brownbag session aims to deepen understanding of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) for OPAPP personnel. The document traces the history of the Bangsamoro struggle against Spanish and American colonization. It discusses the formation of the MNLF after the 1968 Jabidah massacre and the MILF in 1984 in response to the 1976 Tripoli Agreement between the MNLF and Marcos government. The MILF is analyzed as a relatively stable and organized group compared to the MNLF. Its organizational structure and role in peace negotiations is seen as helping solidify the peace process with the recent Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Uploaded by

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

PEACE MONITOR

AN ISSUE DIGEST OF THE POLICY GROUP


Volume I, Issue No. 2

April 2014

Understanding the MILF-MNLF

The Brownbag session on


Understanding the MILFMNLF is meant to deepen the
understanding
of
OPAPP
personnel on the history of the
struggle of the Bangsamoro,
the groups that took the lead
role in this struggle and the
organizational dynamics that
led to the eventual signing of
the historic Comprehensive
Agreement
on
the
Bangsamoro (CAB).
You are invited to attend this
brown bag activity on 25 April
2014 (Friday), 02:00-4:00PM
at the 4F CNN Conference
Room,
with
Mr.
Musa
Mohammad Sanguila as main
discussant.

NEXT TOPICS
Philippine Political
Spectrum
Conflict Mapping
Armed Forces of the
Philippines
Organizational
Structure
Philippine National
Police Organizational
Structure

The struggle of the Muslim Bangsamoro


traces its roots to the Moro Wars during the
time of the Spanish colonization of the
archipelago. After the ceding of the
Philippines to the US by Spain via the Treaty
of Paris in 1898, American colonialists
conducted a series of military campaigns
against the Bangsamoro. These military
campaigns included the infamous Bud Dajo
massacre and the battle of Bud Bagsak
where thousands of Muslim men, women,
and children were killed. Despite some gains
by the Muslims in the Sulu Archipelago, the
influence of the Bangsamoro was eroded by
inflows of Christian settlers from Luzon and
the Visayas under government resettlement
programs.
The current armed conflict in the south can
be traced to the Jabidah massacre in 1968
where dozens of Muslim youth who were
undergoing military training in Corregidor,
reportedly to invade Sabah, were shot to
death when they refused to follow orders
upon knowing their true purpose for training.
University of the Philippines lecturer Nur
Misuari soon after formed the Moro National
Liberation Front or MNLF.
In 1972, then President Ferdinand Marcos
declared Martial Law. One reason he cited
was the threat of the MNLF as a
secessionist paramilitary organization. In
1976, with the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) giving formal recognition
to the MNLF, the Marcos government
reluctantly agreed to negotiate what became
known as the Tripoli Agreement. The
Agreement stipulated among others that full
autonomy be granted to 13 provinces in
Mindanao, Sharia law be allowed in courts,
Muslim schools, colleges, and universities
were to be established. Contrary to the
agreement however, Marcos insisted on a
plebiscite in Mindanao to determine
acceptance of the agreement. However,
with Muslims already a minority in the island,
the implementation of the agreement did not
materialize.
On September 21, 1977, 57 MNLF leaders
of the Kutawato Revolutionary Committee

who were opposed to the Tripoli Agreement


petitioned the OIC for the ouster of Misuari
as MNLF Chair and the installation of Vice
Chair Hashim Salamat. Misuari and the OIC
refused to recognize Salamats leadership,
Salamat however was able to bring under
his wing most of the Maguindanao leaders of
the MNLF. In 1984, his group formally
adopted the name Moro Islamic Liberation
Front or MILF. The Islamic was stressed
to establish its Islamicorientation as
opposed to the more secular MNLF which
signed up for autonomy.
The MILF has its political wings composed
of the Central and Executive Committees,
and its military wing, the Bangsamoro
Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF). Its executive
functions are carried out by the Office of the
Chairman and implemented by provincial
committees, and legislative functions by the
majiis as-Shura (or consultative council).
As can be surmised from the relative
swiftness in framing the recently signed
Comprehensive
Agreement
on
the
Bangsamoro (CAB) with the GPH, the MILF
appears to be a relatively united and
organizationally stable group, with only the
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters
(BIFF) as a visible splinter group.
This organizational stability has helped
solidify the GPH-MILF peace process
architecture. The operational sub-structures
wherein
the
MILF
has
significant
representation and which thus far have
proven
effective
include
the
MILF
negotiating panel itself, the Coordinating
Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities
(CCCH), and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group
(AHJAG) which seeks to isolate lawless
elements in or near MILF camps.
Under the annex on normalization of the
recently signed Comprehensive Agreement
on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the MILF is seen
transitioning from an armed revolutionary
movement to political and/or socio-economic
groups. The annex on power sharing on the
other hand will see the current ARMM under
a ministerial form of government.

SOURCES:
East, Bob (2006). Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF): A Profile of Determination In Proceedings Social Change in the 21st Century Conference 2006, Queensland
University of Technology. Retrieved from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/6091/1/6091.pdf
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (n.d). MILF Peace Table. Retrieved from http://opapp.gov.ph/ms/news/milf
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (n.d). MNLF Peace Table. Retrieved from http://opapp.gov.ph/ms/news/mnlf
The Fragmented Moro National Liberation Front: Continuing Crisis in the MNLF Leadership. Unpublished manuscript.

For comments & suggestions, you may e-mail: [email protected]

You might also like