View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2009-12 Land ownership and migration impact on the Muslim secessionist conflict in the Southern Philippines Aquino, Reynaldo M. Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/4396 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS LAND OWNERSHIP AND MIGRATION: IMPACT ON THE MUSLIM SECESSIONIST CONFLICT IN THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES by Reynaldo M. Aquino December 2009 Thesis Advisor: Douglas A. Borer Second Reader: Mark T. Berger Approved for public release; thesis is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2009 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Land Ownership and Migration: 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Impact on the Muslim Secessionist Conflict in the Southern Philippines 6. AUTHOR(S) Reynaldo M Aquino 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING ADDRESS(ES)N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The secessionist conflict in southern Philippines erupted in the 1970s to assert Muslim self-determination and establish a Bangsamoro state. Despite the government’s peace efforts, the conflict persisted for more than four decades, causing instability and hindering progress in the region. For centuries, Muslim sultanates had dominated and ruled Mindanao and Sulu based on Islamic laws and practices. However, colonization and post-colonial influence significantly altered the Muslims’ distinct identity as a dominant ethno-religious group of people. Notwithstanding strong Muslim resistance, colonial and post-colonial rule prevailed and eventually transformed the Muslims into the minoritized group in Mindanao. This study looked into the impact of colonial and post-colonial land ownership and migration policies on the rise of Muslim secessionist conflict, and found that Muslims were discriminated against, marginalized, and dispossessed of their ancestral lands and domination in Mindanao. Muslim resentments and grievances that developed over time fueled the rise of the contemporary secessionist conflict in Mindanao. Moro ancestral domain and territory were vital and contentious issues in the efforts to settle the secessionist conflict. Deeper understanding of the complexities of this problem is a key to attaining a viable solution for a lasting settlement of the Muslim conflict in Mindanao. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Land ownership, migration and settlements, Muslim 15. NUMBER OF secessionist conflict, colonization PAGES 91 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UU NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK i i Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited LAND OWNERSHIP AND MIGRATION: IMPACT ON THE MUSLIM SECESSIONIST CONFLICT IN THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES Reynaldo M. Aquino Lieutenant Colonel, Philippine Army B.S., Philippine Military Academy, 1986 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DEFENSE ANALYSIS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 2009 Author: Reynaldo M. Aquino Approved by: Douglas A. Borer Thesis Advisor Mark T. Berger Second Reader Gordon McCormick Chairman, Department of Defense Analysis iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK i v ABSTRACT The secessionist conflict in southern Philippines erupted in the 1970s to assert Muslim self-determination and establish a Bangsamoro state. Despite the government’s peace efforts, the conflict persisted for more than four decades, causing instability and hindering progress in the region. For centuries, Muslim sultanates had dominated and ruled Mindanao and Sulu based on Islamic laws and practices. However, colonization and post-colonial influence significantly altered the Muslims’ distinct identity as a dominant ethno-religious group of people. Notwithstanding strong Muslim resistance, colonial and post-colonial rule prevailed and eventually transformed the Muslims into the minoritized group in Mindanao. This study looked into the impact of colonial and post-colonial land ownership and migration policies on the rise of Muslim secessionist conflict, and found that Muslims were discriminated against, marginalized, and dispossessed of their ancestral lands and domination in Mindanao. Muslim resentments and grievances that developed over time fueled the rise of the contemporary secessionist conflict in Mindanao. Moro ancestral domain and territory were vital and contentious issues in the efforts to settle the secessionist conflict. Deeper understanding of the complexities of this problem is a key to attaining a viable solution for a lasting settlement of the Muslim conflict in Mindanao. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK v i TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................1 A. BACKGROUND .........................................1 B. PURPOSE AND SCOPE ..................................7 C. RELATED LITERATURE .................................9 D. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..............................12 E. CHAPTER SUMMARY ...................................12 1. Chapter II: Rise and Struggles of the Muslims in Mindanao ..........................12 2. Chapter III: Land Ownership and Migration in Mindanao .....................................13 3. Chapter IV: Muslim Secessionist Insurgency ...13 4. Chapter V: Summary and Conclusions ...........14 II. RISE AND STRUGGLES OF THE MUSLIMS IN MINDANAO ..........15 A. CONTEMPORARY MUSLIMS IN MINDANAO ..................15 B. MINDANAO IN THE PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (PRIOR TO 1565) .............................................19 1. Ethnic Inhabitants and the Coming of Islam ...19 2. Islamization and the Rise of the Sultanates ..20 3. Rise of the Early Muslim States in Mindanao ..21 C. SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD (1565-1898) ...............23 D. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1898-1946) ..............25 E. COMMONWEALTH PERIOD (1935-1946) ...................30 F. POST-COLONIAL PERIOD (1946–ONWARDS) ...............30 III. LAND OWNERSHIP AND MIGRATION IN MINDANAO ...............33 A. TRADITIONAL MUSLIM CONCEPTS OF LAND OWNERSHIP .....33 B. COLONIAL CONCEPT OF LAND OWNERSHIP ................34 C. DISCRIMINATORY COLONIAL LAND LAWS AND POLICIES ....36 1. Land Registration Act No. 496 of 1902 ........36 2. Public Land Act No. 496 and the Philippine Bill of 1902 .................................38 3. The Philippine Commission Act No. 718 of 1903 .........................................39 4. The Public Act 926 of 1903 ...................39 5. The Mining Law of 1905 .......................40 6. The Cadastral Act of 1907 ....................41 D. LAND SETTLEMENT POLICIES ..........................41 E. COMMONWEALTH AND POST-COLONIAL LAND LAWS AND SETTLEMENT POLICIES ...............................43 F. IMPACT ON MUSLIMS IN MINDANAO .....................46 IV. RISE OF MUSLIM SECESSIONIST CONFLICT ...................49 A. TRIGGERING CONDITIONS .............................49 vii B. MUSLIMS’ RESPONSE .................................50 C. THE MORO NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT (MNLF) .........51 1. Impact of the MNLF Rebellion .................52 2. Organizational Split .........................53 3. Ceasefire Collapse and the Final Settlement with GRP .....................................54 D. THE MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT (MILF) ..........55 E. THE ABU SAYYAF GROUP (ASG) ........................59 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................61 A. SUMMARY ...........................................61 B. CONCLUSION ........................................63 1. Loss of Muslim Domination and Ancestral Domain .......................................64 2. Effects on Muslims in Mindanao ...............66 3. Ancestral Domain Issue and the Settlement of the Muslim Secessionist Conflict .............66 LIST OF REFERENCES ..........................................69 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST ...................................75 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Philippine map. (From: