Response Message of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to the Position Paper of the T'duray and Lambangian Summit

(Delivered by Atty. Faisal Abdul, member of the MILF Panel Technical Working Group, during closing program of the Teduray-Lambangian Summit held in September 25-28, 2006 at San Isidro Parish Formation Center, Nuro, Upi, Maguindanao)

It is my desire and pleasure to meet you and learn about the important work you do on behalf of your communities, how you can protect and preserve the culture and traditions of the T’duray and Lambangian indigenous peoples or the native inhabitants of Mindanao, and your ancestral domain and ancestral land in the Bangsamoro Homeland and ancestral territory.

All of us here are very much privileged to have been invited and wish all of you very well in the future effort to promote human rights and fundamental freedom of indigenous peoples.

I am glad because of some previously confirmed activities, which, I could not possibly come. However, I decided to send representatives, who could share his knowledge on the subject matter.

Now, on behalf of the MILF Peace Panel Chairman Dr. Mohaqher Iqbal, let me share you an update on the current GRP-MILF Peace Talks as the Parties are moving progressively forward on the discussion of the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001.

The Parties commit to discuss the Agenda on Ancestral Domain in order to address the humanitarian and economic needs, protect and preserve our social and cultural heritage, and resolve the inherent rights of the Bangsamoro people over their ancestral domain.

To protect and preserve out culture and traditions, out ancestral domain and ancestral land in our historic homeland and ancestral territory, which embraces the Sulu Archipelago, Mindanao, and Palawan, have formed out territorial possession at the time of conquest and colonization to the present.

Our ANCESTRAL DOMAIN encompasses Ancestral land, Communal, Customary land, Maritime, and alluvial domain, as well as all Natural resources therein, and the bodies of water, seas and the atmospheric Zone.

ANCESTRAL DOMAIN AND ANCESTRAL LAND have been defined as those held under claim of ownership, occupied, or possessed by themselves or thru out Ancestors, Communally, or individually since time immemorial continuously to the present, except when prevented by war, civil disturbance, force majeure, or the other form of possible usurpation or displacement by force, deceit or any other as a consequence of Government Project or any other dealings entered into the Government and Private Individuals, Corporate entities or Institutions.

Along this conception, generally, there are two groups of Bangsamoro people, who are indigenous inhabitants of Mindanao and are entitled to Ancestral Domain rights in the Bangsamoro Homeland, namely the Islamized Bangsamoro and the non-Islamized Bangsamoro that co-existed at the times of conquest and colonization. In Najeeb Saleeby records (1904), the following indigenous peoples inhabit Mindanao:

“the inhabitants of Slangan, Magindanao, Katitwan, and those of the other settlements of the valleys were pagans and were very similar to the present Tidurays in language and worship. Those who adopted the new religion remained in the rich lowlands of the valley, but those who refused fled to the mountains and have stayed away ever since. Those who wavered in accepting the new terms of submission and who were later suffered to stay in the neighboring hills were called Tirurays. Those who refused to submit, fled to more distant places, and kept their enmity and opposition were called Menuvu (Manobos). The pagans who are those spoken of as related to the Moros of Mindanao in origin, besides the above, are the Bilaans, the Tagabilis and the Subanons.”


Both the Islamized and the un-Islamized indigenous inhabitant is, by birthright, the “First Nation” in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago and its adjacent islands. In times, they constitute the designation Bangsa Moro (Moro Nation) in the context of the struggle of the Bangsamoro people for the freedom and self-determination.

The un-Islamized Bangsamoro are as indigenous to Mindanao as the Islamized Bangsamoro. It has been defined as a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and ascription by other, who have continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and defined territory, and who, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of languages, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, become historically differentiated from the majority of the Filipinos.

It also include those who are considered indigenous on account of descent from population, which inhabited the country at the time of conquest or colonization or cultural religious inroads but who retain some or all of their social, economic, cultural and political institutions, but who may have been displaced from their traditional domains or who may have resettled outside of their ancestral domains.

Mindanao is irrefutably the home of at least 31 Bangsamoro people’s ethic groups, of which, according to the listing of the Commission on National Integration (CNI), 13 ethno-linguistic groups belonged to the Islamized Bangsamoro and at least 18 tribal groups belonged to the un-Islamized Bangsamoro. But, recent un-official list showed there are 23 un-Islamized Bangsamoro including its sub-tribes. Thus making it to a total of 36 ethnic groups, which comprised the Bangsamoro people.

Like their Islamized Bangsamoro brothers, with whom they share a common historical affinity, the un-Islamized Bangsamoro of Mindanao had lived on the island since time immemorial. Their coming had even antedated the advent of the Muslim missionaries in the 13th century and the establishment of the Moro Sultanate Governments, and the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and colonizers in 1565.

There is no doubt that the Islamized Bangsamoro and the un-Islamized Bangsamoro are both indigenous to Mindanao, being the Native Original Inhabitant of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan region, at the time of conquest and colonization. As such, they have rights that are vested in them as a People, Community, and Nation.

The inclusion of non-Muslim professing Tribes of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan regions, in the Bangsamoro political construct is being well-rooted on Ancestral Territoriality, both by bllod and compact entered into by our common Ancestors of the Moros and the Timuay (Chief) of the indigenous Tribes and also by maternal blood link of the latter with the Ancestors of the early Moro Datu or Rules. This has been well documented in the Moro-Chonicles (riwayat), or Sejarah, and the Maguindanao Salsila, (Genealogy), as well as the traditions of both peoples.

Significantly, the Parties achieved significant progress in their recent exploratory talks in defining the concept, sharing the resources and establishing governance in the BJE. The Bangsamoro people shall have also power and authority over their ancestral domain within the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity without, in anyway, jeopardizing the proprietary rights of other inhabitants in Mindanao.

During the 13th Exploratory Peace Talks held on September 6-7, 2006 at Kuala Lumpur, the government peace negotiators proposed the area of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as the core of the area of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE). It also proposed some contiguous Muslim majority areas outside ARMM to be included in the proposed territory of the BJE but subject to certain conditions, particularly constitutional processes/legislations.

The MILF could not accept the GRP proposal, which is it deemed as an “old style” despite its commitment to open up “new formulas” for a peaceful resolution of the conflict pursuant to the provision of the Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001. So there was an impasse/deadlock in the peace talks without concluding a consensus/agreement in their last negotiation.

Contrary to wrong perception, the MILF has since boiled down its position from “Independence” to the establishment of a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity within the Central Government. It is indeed a welcome development in the peace process. The MILF has settled down for a just small portion of its original ancestral territory as an option for peace in Mindanao.

By the way, lately the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has hailed the United Nation for passing of the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples around the world and gives real meaning and values to their long and hard struggle for freedom and self-determination.

The struggle of the Bangsamoro people would also be greatly bolstered and be given due attention in the International arena with the adoption of this declaration by the UNITED NATIONS. It also recognizes and protects the rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination and, by virtue of those rights; they may freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural developments as a people.

There is no reason why the Islamized and the non-Islamized Bangsamoros would be separated as a people, as one people, or Bangsamoro People. In fact, this had been attested to in their traditional covenants or compacts (diyandi, tempura te balagun, pakang, ect).

May a Sapa (divine’s or nature curse) behalf to those who violate those covenants!

Thank you and Wassalam!