Meranao Peace Declaration

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Country/entity: Philippines
Mindanao
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: Meranao Peace Declaration
Date: 31 Dec 2017
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/local conflict
Philippine Insurgencies (1968 - )
The Maoist Insurgencies (1968 - )

Philippines-NDF

The Philippines have been defined by a series of center-periphery and often ideologically Maoist, separatist insurgencies. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), began its war against the central Philippine government in 1968 through their armed wing – the New People’s Army (NPA). Further legitimacy was gained through the establishment of the National Democratic Front (NDF) in 1973. Grievances were predominantly opposed to the corruption and repression under the authoritarian Marcos regime.

Philippines-Cordillera

With the overthrow of Marcos’ regime in 1986, the CPP factionalized further to take on more localized characteristics. The Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) broke away from the NDF in 1986 to focus on the protection of the Cordilleran people and land in northern Luzon. Hostilities were formally ended in July 2011, with an agreement signed between the central government, the CPLA and the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA) that allowed for the absorption of CPLA fighters into the Philippine Army and the re-working of the CBA-CPLA into a socio-development organisation.

Philippines-RPM-P

Meanwhile, purge among the CPP in the early 1990s, encouraged the formation of a parallel party, the Revolutionary Workers Party (RPM-P). Their armed wing, the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) which had carried out a number of assassinations during the 1980s at the bequest of the CPP, followed suit and allied themselves with the RPM-P in 1997 forming the (RPM-P-RPA-ABB). Severely weakened by the split with the CPP and with the arrest of several key figures, the RPM-P-RPA-ABB signed a peace agreement in December 2000, which encouraged the RPM-P’s branch in Mindanao to break away in 2001.

The CPP-NPA has only participated in intermittent talks with the government. Talks halted in 2004 when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration sought closer ties with the U.S. in the war on terror and added the CPP-NPA to the list of terrorist organisations, renewing violence. Following the launch of a counter-insurgency by the Philippine government, negotiations have been further delayed due to suspected internal differences between the CPP ‘old guard’ and younger members.

The Moro Insurgency (1968 - )

Philippines-Mindanao

The Moro Insurgency began in 1968, in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago after the killing of Moro Commandos, the so-called Jabidah Massacre, by the Philippine Army following a plot to invade Sabah province in Malaysia. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) captured a swath of territory in the mid-1970s. In an attempt to stem the violence, the constitution was reformed and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was created 1990 granting a devolution of power to the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Following the establishment of the ARMM, the MNLF splintered into a range of smaller groups including Islamic factions such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayef Goup (ASG). The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed in 2014.
Stage: Framework/substantive - partial
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Philippines-Mindanao: Local Processes
Parties: Sultans, Datus, Baes
Third parties: -
Description: The Sultans, Datus, and Baes of the Meranao petition the Government in the wake of IS retreat from their area.

Agreement document: PH_171231_Meranao_Peace_Declaration_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): PH_171231_Meranao Peace Declaration_FIL.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Isolated example
Rationale: This agreement is part of the same gathering of local leaders as the Historic Iligan Royal Declaration of 19/12/2017. In fact, the participants completed the signing of the Historic Iligan Royal Declaration on 29/12/2017, in the same hotel as the one where this document is signed. Thus, while there are two documents from the meeting, they form an isolated example.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: No
Link to national process: articulated rationale: There is no indication that these talks were part of the negotiations between the main sides in the Mindanao conflict.
Name of Locale: Marawi City
Nature of Locale: City
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 8.010890, 124.297906
Participant type: Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
Mediator, facilitator or similar: No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture): Page 1:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. We beseech to Allah (S.W.T.), our
Lord and Creator that we will prevail and our right will be restored after we were deprived of
it due to the upheaval that the Meranao people have experienced specifically those residents
of the Islamic City of Marawi that evacuated to different places in the 2 (two) Ranao and
Particularly those who evacuated in the neighboring places in peripheral areas of the
Philippines.

Page 2:
We pray to Allah (S.W.T.), Most Merciful and Most
Gracious that He will increase the efforts of leaders who are in the government of the
Philippines and grant them unity to give justice to the evacuees and action be taken as well as
our prayer be granted.
Grievance List: Page 1:
The armed conflict in the city of Marawi on May 23, 2017 had severely affected the Meranao
people that reside in the city and those living in Ranao territory and to the people wherein
they found safe haven. It likewise affected the places in the Philippines wherein Meranao
evacuees temporarily stayed. Huge amount of money, blood and armaments were used. The
conflict between the Maute-Islamic State (IS) militants and the forces of the government has
hurt them for their family members died and have not given justice and it caused division
between the Meranao people and those others that reside in Marawi.

Page 2:
Our first stand and prayer that one of the remedies for our grievances is the creation of law
that our land be given back to us without the issue of military land reservation. We want the
immediate return of our people in the ground zero and the law on reparation be implemented
to pay our destroyed houses and lost properties. Our homes should not be flattened to the
ground for that is the place where our people have converged, where our Islamic faith is
established and where our traditional value systems have been molded.
Secondly, we want the sultans, ulama and imams who are concerned and have the efforts for
their people have given a role for establishment of peace. The TFBM should have given
primacy for the traditional leaders and ulama for their role for the development that should be
implemented in Marawi City so that their societal role will be recognized and they can also
extend assistance to those living within the four confederation of Lanao. We should also want
to repair of our damaged masjid and madrasahs due to the conflict and we also want that
the name Islamic City of Marawi will not be replaced.
Thirdly, every family staying at the ground zero should be given assistance by the
government for their livelihood activities. During the time they left Marawi City due to the
conflict and look for place to stay on the other safer place, they have never brought things for
themselves. Those living in other places who have also lost their properties due to the conflict
be given assistance by the government. Their children who are studying should be given
educational assistance and scholarship. The orphaned children whose parents died during the
conflict be accorded necessary assistance.
Fourth stand and request to the government of the Philippines, a third party be created to
assess and report the damaged houses and properties in Marawi City and validly count the
number of dead people in the city not included in ISIS group so that the government can give
justice to their death in the assistance to their family.
Fifth, the evacuees staying at the temporary shelters and evacuation centers should be given
assistance especially those who are sick.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

MERANAO PEACE DECLARATION

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

We beseech to Allah (S.W.T.), our Lord and Creator that we will prevail and our right will be restored after we were deprived of it due to the upheaval that the Meranao people have experienced specifically those residents of the Islamic City of Marawi that evacuated to different places in the 2 (two) Ranao and Particularly those who evacuated in the neighboring places in peripheral areas of the Philippines.

The history of Mindanao Island specifically in Ranao territory that was written in various talks and historical documents that pertains to the Bangsamoro.

They never had respite until this time in pursuing their ideological principle and their belief in the implementation of Ijma and Taritib and ultimately the establishment of Islamic system wherein final success in this world and the hereafter can be achieved.

There were plenty of historical records that can attest to the Meranao people had fought bravely against the colonial power such as Spain, America, and Japanese.

In October 1972, after a month of martial law declaration, Marawi uprising took place and until now the problem still persists because the central government and the liberation forces that fought for the rights of the Meranao people, have ever understood each other.

Our forebears have protected their way of life through Ijma and Taritib of which they used the same in promoting Islam to create a stable living condition and ultimately a disciplined society and they may exert effort for the law wherein they believe that a remedy for societal ills and for the establishment of a good societal relations.

The armed conflict in the city of Marawi on May 23, 2017 had severely affected the Meranao people that reside in the city and those living in Ranao territory and to the people wherein they found safe haven.

It likewise affected the places in the Philippines wherein Meranao evacuees temporarily stayed.

Huge amount of money, blood and armaments were used.

The conflict between the Maute-Islamic State (IS) militants and the forces of the government has hurt them for their family members died and have not given justice and it caused division between the

Meranao people and those others that reside in Marawi.

Thus, this day of gathering of those people living in the 2 (two) Ranao’s who are believers aand have the fforts for their people particularly those with royal titles which endowed on them by our forebears such as the titles of Sultan, Rajamuda, Cabugatan, and Sangcopan and other titles of our forefathers such as the Bae a Labi and other Baes have unified our stand and minds that we will convey to the government of the Philippines if Marawi City is liberated from the ISIS fighters that the rights of the civilian victims of war in the 2 (two) Ranao’s should be heard and their rights under the Philippine and International laws should be respected.

The said stand is a help for the creation of a peace in our places after our harrowing experience on war and we pray to Allah that our stand will be understood by the TASK FORCE BANGON MARAWI (TFBM) and those department and agencies that will work for the welfare and development of those living in the city of Marawi especially those staying in ground zero have evacuated in different places of the Philippines.

We likewise bring this stand to those Meranao leaders who are members of the Cabinet Secretaries of present administration under the leadership under the leadership President Rodrigo Roa Duterte who claimed that he has a Meranao blood.

Our first stand and prayer that one of the remedies for our grievances is the creation of law that our land be given back to us without the issue of military land reservation.

We want the immediate return of our people in the ground zero and the law on reparation be implemented to pay our destroyed houses and lost properties.

Our homes should not be flattened to the ground for that is the place where our people have converged, where our Islamic faith is established and where our traditional value systems have been molded.

Secondly, we want the sultans, ulama and imams who are concerned and have the efforts for their people have given a role for establishment of peace.

The TFBM should have given primacy for the traditional leaders and ulama for their role for the development that should be implemented in Marawi City so that their societal role will be recognized and they can also extend assistance to those living within the four confederation of Lanao.

We should also want to repair of our damaged masjid and madrasahs due to the conflict and we also want that the name Islamic City of Marawi will not be replaced.

Thirdly, every family staying at the ground zero should be given assistance by the government for their livelihood activities.

During the time they left Marawi City due to the conflict and look for place to stay on the other safer place, they have never brought things for themselves.

Those living in other places who have also lost their properties due to the conflict be given assistance by the government.

Their children who are studying should be given educational assistance and scholarship.

The orphaned children whose parents died during the conflict be accorded necessary assistance.

Fourth stand and request to the government of the Philippines, a third party be created to assess and report the damaged houses and properties in Marawi City and validly count the number of dead people in the city not included in ISIS group so that the government can give justice to their death in the assistance to their family.

Fifth, the evacuees staying at the temporary shelters and evacuation centers should be given assistance especially those who are sick.

We pray to Allah (S.W.T.), Most Merciful and Most Gracious that He will increase the efforts of leaders who are in the government of the Philippines and grant them unity to give justice to the evacuees and action be taken as well as our prayer be granted.

We unanimously agreed this stand and request as written in this position paper during the holding of Meranao Sultanate Peace Declaration Summit on 31 December, 2017 at Maria Christina Hotel, Iligan City, Philippines.

Meranao Peace Declaration

Local agreement properties

Local issues

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