Conflict Managementin the Philippines

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND CLAN

VIOLENCE IN MINDANAO

Although Muslim separatist conflict dominatesthe media, research supported by The AsiaFoundation shows that clan violence in Mindanaois actually more pertinent in the daily lives of thepeople, becoming all the more complicated whenmixed with separatism, banditry, and militaryinvolvement.

To better address this type of conflict, theFoundation partnered with Mindanao-based civilsociety organizations and academic institutions ina coordinated study of clan violence (known asrido), examining root causes, parties involved,conditions for escalation and recurrence, relation-ships to other forms of conflict, and potential forconflict resolution. An edited volume, Rido: ClanFeuding and Conflict Management in Mindanaowas published in late 2007. This better under-standing of clan conflict dynamics helped facili-tate dialogue between warring clans, informed theJoint Coordinating Committees on the Cessationof Hostilities (the body set up to maintain theceasefire between the government and the MoroIslamic Liberation Front), and is being used bythe Foundation and its local partners to addressclan conflicts across rido-prone provinces. Forinstance, the Foundation supported ARMM’sRegional Reconciliation and Unification

Commission in resolving a longstanding feudbetween two prominent clans in Sulu (Caluangand Halun clans) that had left two-dozen peopledead and 14 people injured from both sides.Since October 2007, Foundation partners wereable to settle a total of 162 clan conflicts(accounting for 271 deaths and 198 injuries).

ELECTION VIOLENCE

Philippine elections have been historically marred by violence, with over one hundred killedin each recent election. The Foundation hasworked with local partners to conduct a series ofdiagnostic activities that assess election violence inthe country; develop coalitions at the nationaland local level to combat election violence; andenhance existing formal and informal mechanismsto manage election-related conflicts.

To design effective interventions to reduce violence in critical areas, the Foundation workedwith local academic institutions and civil societyorganizations. Ateneo School of Government conducted studies on election-related violence inAbra and Nueva Ecija. Local civil society, such asthe Concerned Citizens of Abra for GoodGovernance, mobilized local stakeholders throughthe church, media, NGOs, and government toaddress election violence. In partnership with theConsortium on Electoral Reforms, the VotePeace

The Asia Foundation

has been programmig

in the Philippines

since 1954.

PHILIPPINES

In 2007, the

Foundation published a

coordinated study

of clan violence, or

“rido,”undertaken

by Mindanao-based

civil society

organizations and

academic institutions.

In a number of ways,

The Foundation

supports the peace

process between

the government and

the MILF.

The Philippines suffers from endemic conflicts on many levels, some arising out of traditional cleavagesand others from the complex responses of a society undergoing rapid change. Political instability and the conflicts in Mindanao continue to undermine efforts to improve the country’s economy and gover-nance. The Asia Foundation aims to address conflicts through enhanced conflict resolution mechanisms;improved communication channels within affected communities and between government and commu-nity groups; and policy-oriented substantive discussions with inputs from key stakeholders.

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PHILIPPINESP.O. Box 7072Domestic Airport Post OfficePasay City, Metro ManilaPhilippinesTel: + 63 (2) 851-1466Fax: + 63 (2) 853-0474tafphil@asiafound.org

www.asiafoundation.org

project established a national network that willmonitor incidents of election-related violence andprovide necessary responses through theVotePeace Task Force.

SUPPORT FOR PEACE INITIATIVES

After an upsurge of violence between the govern-ment and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front(MILF) in 2008, The Asia Foundation broughtexperts to advise the two parties on ways forward,and beginning in mid-2009 progress once againwas made in restoring peace on the ground andrestarting peace talks. In late 2009, The AsiaFoundation was invited by the two parties to bepart of the newly-formed International ContactGroup to support the negotiations. By mid-2010,the task became working with the MalaysianFacilitator and both parties to “hand off ” thepeace process to the incoming administrationafter July 1, 2010.

The Foundation partners with a wide variety ofMindanao stakeholders in serving as a bridge tothe negotiations. The Bishops-Ulama Conferencein 2009 sponsored academics from Mindanaouniversities to conduct discussions among con-stituents in conflict-affected areas and beyond, tocitizens in the Visayas, Luzon, and Metro Manila.In addition, a network of academics was con-vened by the University of the Philippines LawSchool to produce a policy paper, “Reframing thePeace Negotiations on Mindanao,” which hasbeen presented to all presidential candidates toinform the next administration.

In addition, capacity-building initiatives are beingundertaken for the Bangsamoro DevelopmentAgency (tasked to help in relief and rehabilitationof conflict-affected communities) and theBangsamoro Leadership and ManagementInstitute (which focuses on capacity-building formore inclusive and efficient governance in anystructures resulting from a future peace agreement).

At the village level, the Foundation supports par-ticipatory consultations to decide on projects tobest help villages after the cessation of hostilities.The Sustainable Alternatives for the Advancementof Mindanao (SALAM, Inc) published “BuildingPostive Peace” based on these initiatives, to pro-vide recommendations to donors and to theOffice of the Presidential Assistant on the PeaceProcess (OPAPP) on conducting peace processesin a way inclusive of local communities.

Recognizing the military’s need for a holisticunderstanding of the culture, history, and com-plexity of conflicts in Mindanao, the Foundationprovided assistance to Zamboanga Life CareServices, Inc. to conduct peace education work-shops with the 1st Infantry Division of thePhilippine Army in Zamboanga City and the 6thInfantry Division in Central Mindanao. AsiaFoundation staff and partners have also providedbriefings on clan conflict to the Philippine Navyand the National Defense College of thePhilippines in efforts to raise awareness about ridoand support the objective of addressing securityconcerns in Mindanao in a holistic manner.

LEGAL CONFLICTS AND PROTECTION OF

HUMAN RIGHTS

Extra-judicial killings have proliferated in thePhilippines in conjunction with the myriad formsof conflict. The Foundation supports efforts bythe Philippine Supreme Court to introduce anddisseminate new instruments (such as the writ ofamparo), and efforts by media and lawyers groupsto better track killings of media practicitionersand political activists. The Foundation has devel-oped a comic book on protective remedies (suchas the writ of amparo) and is partnering with abroadcast network to air a weekly radio show onhuman rights. Because state agents are implicatedin extra-judicial killings, there is often reluctanceto report these to authorities. To promote greatertrust in responding to human rights issues, theFoundation facilitated a series of dialoguesbetween government and civil society, which ledto the formation of local multi-sectoral mecha-nisms to provide immediate assistance to victimsof human rights violations. The Foundation like-wise supports the government’s independentCommission on Human Rights to strengthen itscapacity to monitor and investigate human rightsabuses through training its investigators, enhanc-ing its database system, and institutionalizing itspartnership with human rights NGOs such as thePhilippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocatesand the Medical Action Group.

In the Philippines, The Asia Foundation programs are also funded by theUnited States Agency for International Development, the Australian Agencyfor International Development, the Canadian International DevelopmentAgency, the United Kingdom’s Department of Foreign and CommonwealthOffice, and the Asian Development Bank.

05/2010

The Asia Foundation is

a private, non-profit,

non-governmental

organization. Through

its programs, the

Foundation builds

leadership, improves

policies, and strengthens

institutions to foster

greater openness and

shared prosperity in the

Asia-Pacific region. It is

funded by contributions

from corporations,

foundations, individuals,

and governmental

organizations in the

U.S., Europe, Canada,

Australia, and Asia, and

an annual appropriation

from the U.S. Congress.