II
THE BANGSAMORO STRUGGLE FOR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION: History, Status and Perspectives
worldview, perspective, or way of looking at things. They have their own views of what development should be. While they can appreciate other peoples’ development initiatives, they would feel at ease with their own brand of development. It makes a difference when they shape their own development. In simple terms, the grievances mentioned above constituted injustice to their right to self-determination. D. Status of the Moro struggle for self-determination The MNLF-led armed struggle that started in the later 1960s eventually paved the way to the signing of a peace agreement with the government in 1996. Earlier, as a response to the clamor for independence, the government under Cory Aquino created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The MNLF rejected the ARMM and demanded for an expanded power. After the signing of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA), Nur Misuari conceded to run for the governor of ARMM and won. But before he could finish his term, he was accused of having led an attack against the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Sulu in 2001. He was arrested and incarcerated until his release on bail in April 2008. The MNLF has accused the government of unilaterally implementing a plebiscite in violation of the provisions of the FPA. The MNLF also accused the government of non-implementation of the peace accord. Less than five (5) years after the signing of the accord, a series of armed clashes has erupted between the AFP and MNLF forces. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has initiated a tripartite review 1996 peace accord with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the MNLF, but the end result of the process is not very clear. Meantime, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which had splintered from the MNLF, also entered into peace talks with the GRP upon the invitation of the latter in 1997. This 12-year old peace process is also marred by a series of armed violence in between, although there had been signed interim agreements on cessation of hostilities and the development and rehabilitation of conflict-ridden areas in Mindanao through the BangsaMoro Development Agency (BDA). The last contentious issue was to be on ancestral domain, which covers territories, resources and governance, and was to be concluded prior to a Comprehensive Compact. On August 4, 2008, a day prior to the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) in Kuala T h e B a n g s a M o r o C i v i l S o c i e t y O r g a n i z at i o n ( B M - C SO ) D e v e l o p m e n t A g e n d a
CSOAgenda.indd 21
13
1/2/2002 4:58:04 AM