Southern Philippine Secessionist Groups

The Muslim secessionist movement in the Southern Philippines is rooted in the centuries-old resistance of Muslim Filipinos against Spanish colonization. The destruction of the traditional patterns of authority and communal autonomy, curtailment of individual freedom, and the introduction of a new religion fueled the resistance of the Muslims in Mindanao. Unlike their counterparts in Luzon and Visayas, the Muslims of Mindanao refused to submit to Spanish authority. Such resistance has endured to this day. Whereas the communist party aims to overthrow the government to establish a socialist state, Muslim secessionist groups want to cede from the Philippines and form a separate Bangsamoro (Islamic State).

The Muslim separatist sentiment is caused by the following main factors: first, Muslim fear that their religious, cultural, and political traditions may be weakened or destroyed by forced assimilation into a Catholic-dominated Philippine Republic. Second, Muslims resent the influx of migrants from Luzon and Visayas, which dispossessed them of their ancestral and communal lands and turned them into a minority in their own land. Third, Muslims reject the economic underdevelopment and poverty of Mindanao. Rabasa and Chalk notes that 15 of the Philippine’s poorest provinces are located in the region, which also has the country’s lowest literacy rate (75 percent) and life expectancy (57 years). Moreover, most provinces have limited or no access to basic social services, such as electricity and water supply, education, and health. Fourth, is the Mindanao tradition of warlordism, banditry, and blood feuds among ethnic groups.

The Muslim Secessionist Movement is comprised of three groups. The (1) Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF); (2) the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was founded by Nur Misuari, an educated Tausug, in 1971. The MNLF believe that (1) the Moro people constitute a distinct bangsa (nation) that has a specific Islamic historical and cultural identity; (2) the bangsamoro (Islamic nation) has a legitimate right to self-determination; and (3) the MNLF has a duty and obligation to wage a jihad against the Philippine State. As such, the movement fought for due representation of Muslims in the Philippine political process. In 1996, peace talks between the Government and MNLF have resulted to the establishment of the Zone of Peace and Development (ZOPAD) in Mindanao; the creation of Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD); and Misuari’s election as governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, which gave the Muslims a stake in the political process of the country. Thus, only the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf remain in the Muslim secessionist movement at present.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is a breakaway group from the MNLF, which left its parent organization in 1980.

Differences in the two group’s goals paved the way for such separation. The MILF has a more religious orientation than the MNLF. Aside from pursuing nationalist objectives, the group also aims to promote Islamic ideals in the country. Late Hashim Salamat, the former group’s leader states that their political objective is to create a separate Islamic State encompassing provinces in Mindanao where Muslims are majority. The Shari’a (Islamic Law) will be observed in all aspects of life in the said Islamic State. The MILF aims to attain such goal thru da’wa (Islamic preaching) and jihad (holy war). As a revolutionary military force, MILF does not practice indiscriminate violence against civilians. Its violent activities, mostly in the form of orthodox guerilla warfare, are only aimed at the Philippine Military. However, the also group uses terrorist-type tactics to extort revolutionary taxes.

The Abu Sayyaf Group (literally “Bearer of the Sword”), a fundamentalist organization was founded in1989 and was originally named Mujahideen Commando Freedom Fighters (MCFF), due to its link with the Mujahideen movement in Afghanistan. The majority of the group’s members are Muslim youths, with many of the older cadres reportedly veterans of the Afghan war. The Abu Sayyaf does not only want to establish a separate Islamic state governed by the Shari’a. The group also wants this state to be exclusive for Muslims. The Abu Sayyaf does not practice religious tolerance towards non-Muslims. The activities of the group are terrorist in nature and are tied to the integrated effort among Muslim fundamentalists in asserting the dominance of Islam in global politics. The Abu Sayyaf Group received international attention when they abducted and hostaged some foreigners in Sipadan, Malaysia.