Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANILA3321
2006-08-08 01:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manila
Cable title:  

MINDANAO'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OPPOSE BANGSAMORO

Tags:  PINS KISL RP 
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VZCZCXRO3291
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #3321/01 2200113
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 080113Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2390
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANILA 003321 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2016
TAGS: PINS KISL RP
SUBJECT: MINDANAO'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OPPOSE BANGSAMORO
JURIDICAL ENTITY

REF: MANILA 2013

Classified By: Pol/C Scott Bellard for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANILA 003321

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2016
TAGS: PINS KISL RP
SUBJECT: MINDANAO'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OPPOSE BANGSAMORO
JURIDICAL ENTITY

REF: MANILA 2013

Classified By: Pol/C Scott Bellard for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Leaders and representatives of indigenous
peoples (Lumads) from throughout
Mindanao gathered in Bukidnon Province July 24-26 to proclaim
strong opposition to the inclusion of their ancestral lands
in a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. This stance will further
complicate the already tricky negotiations over ancestral
domain between the GRP and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF). End Summary.

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Indigenous Peoples Unite
--------------


2. (U) Leaders and representatives of 18 tribes and 8
sub-tribes from throughout Mindanao -- including ethnic
B'laan leader/MILF Peace Panel Technical Committee member
Datu Antonio Kinoc from Davao Del Sur -- gathered in Bukidnon
Province (northern Mindanao) July 24-26 to attend the
first-ever "Mindanao Indigenous Peoples' Summit." A
non-governmental organization -- "Panatagbo Mindanao," headed
by Datu Migketay Saway -- reportedly sponsored the Summit,
with support from the National Commission for Indigenous
Peoples.


3. (SBU) In a joint statement (text in para 8),107
participants proclaimed their strong opposition to the
inclusion of their ancestral lands in a proposed new
Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. They noted that "many of us,
the Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural Communities, had
undergone sad experiences and relationships against our Moro
Brothers because of several incidences of attacks in our
communities that resulted to the death of our constituents
and these conflicts remained unsettled until today."


4. (C) According to Congressman Nereus Acosta from the 1st
District of Bukidnon Province, the issue of ancestral domain
under discussion in the peace talks between the GRP and the
MILF has tapped a reservoir of historical antipathy among
Christians, Muslims, and indigenous peoples (Lumads).
Acosta, who serves as Vice Chairman of Congress' Committee on
Natural Resources, explained that indigenous peoples account
for at least 40 per cent of the total population in Bukidnon
-- a province with rich agricultural lands and undeveloped
natural resources.
--------------
MILF downplays problems

--------------


5. (C) MILF Peace Panel Secretariat Head Jun Matawil
downplayed the potential impact of the unified statement on
the GRP-MILF peace process, saying that non-governmental
organizations only represent themselves and not any of the 18
tribes and 8 sub-tribes of indigenous peoples in Mindanao.
Muntawil further noted that GRP-MILF negotiators have already
agreed to extend indigenous peoples the right of free choice
whether to include or exclude themselves in a Bangsamoro
Juridical Entity, and that this free choice option cannot be
gauged by the mere adoption of resolutions.

--------------
Lack of prior consultation?
--------------


6. (C) According to GRP Peace Negotiations Panel Secretariat
Director Ryan Sullivan, MILF negotiators had provided the GRP
Peace Panel during the 12th Round of Exploratory Talks in
Kuala Lumpur May 2-4 with a list of "Certificates of
Ancestral Domain" for 697 barangays (districts) outside the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that were populated by
indigenous peoples. The MILF representatives further claimed
that the indigenous peoples in these areas had agreed during
consultations to become part of a Bangsamoro Juridical
Entity, but the new statement from the Bukidnon meeting now
seemed clearly to indicate that such consultations had not
taken place, he commented.

--------------
Comment
--------------


7. (C) The already tricky issue of ancestral domain remains
a sticking point in the informal talks between the GRP and
MILF. It will take enormous creativity and patience to
resolve competing claims among Muslims themselves -- notably

MANILA 00003321 002 OF 003


from ARMM officials as well as leaders of the Moro National
Liberation Front -- as well as by Christian settlers, most of
whose families have been in Mindanao for decades or even
generations. The added complication of the rights of
indigenous peoples will now further complicate this process
of negotiation.

--------------
Text of Unified Statement
--------------


8. (SBU) The text of the statement issued during the
Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Summit July 24-26 follows:

We, Leaders and representatives of the Indigenous
Peoples/Indigenous Cultural Communities who work for peace
and development in our Ancestral territories, hereby declare
our unified position regarding the important element of the
peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the
Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) which is the identification of the coverage of the
Bangsamoro Homeland in Mindanao based on the following:


1. That based on our histories, our ancestral domain and
territories, existed peacefully based on the sacred
agreements between Apu Mamalu and Tabunaway and other
ancestors that were executed through the traditional peace
pacts known as Tampuda hu Balagen, Sapa, Pakang, Diyandi,
Saklanlitu, and other cultural processes;


2. That we, the Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural
Communities, lived in a culture, beliefs and principles that
are totally distinct from the cultures, beliefs, religion and
principles of our Moro brothers;


3. That we, the Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural
Communities, govern our territories based on our customary
laws duly recognized under the laws of the Republic of the
Philippines and submitting our territories under the
Bangsamoro Homeland will weaken our desire for self
determination and free existence as peoples;


4. That we, the Indigenous Peoples/ Indigenous Cultural
Communities, utilize the natural resources inside our
territories based on our customary laws duly recognized and
submitting our territories under the Bangsamoro Homeland will
destruct our customary use of natural resources inside our
territories;


5. That, submitting the territories of the Indigenous
Peoples/Indigenous Cultural Communities under the Bangsamoro
Homeland will violate the traditional agreements between Apu
Mamalu and Tabunaway and other ancestors and will destroy the
brotherhood that is highly preserved and respected by the
tribes especially that this intention did not undergo a
sincere consultation, information, or agreement;


6. That many of us, the Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous
Cultural Communities, had undergone sad experiences and
relationships against our Moro Brothers because of several
incidence of attacks in our communities that resulted to the
death of our constituents and these conflicts remain
unsettled until today;


7. That we, the Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural
Communities, through peaceful means of struggles, gained
recognition, respect and protection under the Philippine
Constitution, Republic Act No. 8371 known as IPRA (Indigenous
Peoples Rights Act) including the international policies and
agreements of the United Nations, thus submitting ourselves
to the administration of the Bangsamoro Homeland will destroy
and defeat our intention and mandate of the law and will
result in the loss of our cultures and identities;


8. That, the submission the territories of the Indigenous
Peoples/Indigenous Cultural Communities under the
jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro Homeland has no structure or
organizational basis of the free and effective participation
of our communities and nations;


9. That we, the Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural
Communities, possess titles that identified our communities
and we can never accept the titles Bangsamoro because this
was never indicated in our oral and written history and this
will destroy the Native Titles that we uphold as basis our
cultural rights;


10. That, submitting ourselves to the Bangsamoro Homeland

MANILA 00003321 003 OF 003


has no sufficient guarantee for peace and unity between the
Moro and the Indigenous Peoples because the group of the Moro
civil society, ordinary citizens, academe, businessmen and
politicians have not demonstrated their strong understanding
and unity;

Therefore based on the above stated reasons, we the
representatives and leaders of the Indigenous Peoples, based
on our free exchange and sharing of ideas and experiences,
hereby unite our strong opposition for the inclusion of our
Ancestral Domains/Ancestral Lands into the Bangsamoro
Homeland.

Furthermore, that we Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural
Communities will continue to uphold sacred agreements that
served as basis of the recognition, identification and
respect of our Ancestral Domains/Ancestral Lands in
accordance with the sacred processes of the traditional peace
pacts known as Tampuda hu Balagen, Diyandi, Pakang, Sapa, and
other cultural peace processes.

Finally, we the Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural
Communities, call the attention of the GRP and MILF Peace
Panel and the Third Party represented by the Malaysian
Secretary to give considerable attention and consideration on

SIPDIS
our unified position in order to truly achieve lasting peace
and development in the Island of Mindanao.

In testimony hereof, we hereby proclaim our position stated
above in this sacred ritual and affix our signatures through
the guidance of the spirit our ancestors and the Spirits of
nature that are sources of our lives and development in the
presence of the public people as witnesses of the
above-stated position.

Signed by the United Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural
Communities of Mindanao this 24th day of July 2006 at
Tulugan, Sungko, Lantapan, Bukidnon.

End Text

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Jones