Sulong CARHRIHL builds partnership in Arakan and Davao

by Miriam Coronel Ferrer

Sulong CARHRIHL's involvement in Arakan, North Cotabato began in February 2006 when Bae Magdalena Suhat, a Manobo-Matitsalog tribal leader, requested assistance to facilitate the return of seven families to their communities. The heads of the seven families applied to join the government’s Citizens Armed Forces Geographic Unit (CAFGU).  Although they were not recruited, they feared retaliation from the New People’s Army (NPA). Thus, they decided to stay in Kidapawan for the time being.

Bae Magdalena was part of the delegation of the Mindanao People’s Peace Movement (MPPM), which visited the UP CIDS Program on Peace, Democratization and Human Rights. A case documentation was made by Sulong Secretariat chair Jovy Reyes, and arrangements were made to hold a consultation in Kidapawan.

Kidapawan Consultation

Cathy Cerillo and myself met with Bae Magdalena and six other people in Kidapawan on 24 February. Those who came were mostly from Bae Magdalena’s organization, the Manobo Lumad nung Panaghiliusa sa Arakan Valley (MALUPA). Danilo Ayuba from Tulunan and the chair representing the B’laan in the Cotabato Council of Elders, also came.

They discussed the impact of the armed conflict in their communities, particularly the civilians who have been killed either by the military or the NPA, most of whom were their relatives. Among them were Bae Magdalena’s husband, who was then barangay captain,  and her  brother-in-law who were killed by the NPA in 1979; her father and two nephews who were shot dead in 1986, also by the NPA.  Datu Danilo’s brother and cousin were likewise summarily executed in 2002. During this meeting, MALUPA members present also identified the issues that they would want raised to the armed parties. They shared to us their plan to convene an Arakan-wide Council of Elders.

Bae Magdalena said their request from the OPAPP’s PIDO office has not been granted. They requested our assistance. In response, Sulong CARHRIHL provided P10,000 from our grant from Norway, under the line item allocated for consultations.

The Context of the Arakan Meeting

The impetus to hold the first meeting of the Arakan Council of Elders came from Executive Order No. 39 of the Cotabato governor (Manuel Pinol) issued in 2004. The EO encouraged the formation of municipality-based organizations of elders to complement the Cotabato-wide Council of Elders already provided for by E.O. 65 (circa 1999). The Cotabato-wide council was deemed insufficient in addressing issues on the ground. Bae Magdalena sits as Council co-chair and chair for the Arakan Valley in the Cotabato Council of Elders.

There are two lumad organizations in Arakan municipality, the TIKULPA (headed by Datu Medilo Libuan from Bgy. Malibatuan) and MALUPA. The MALUPA sought to gain more autonomy from the local parish/diocese of Kidapawan, who then supported the formation of TIKULPA.  Bae Magdalena hoped the Arakan Council of Elders would unite all key people and bridge the gap created by the split.

The First Meeting of the Arakan Council of Elders

The two-day meeting was attended by some 40-50 people from several barangays. Because of insufficient funds, this number was less than the original plan.  In any case, datus, barangay leaders, youth representatives, mothers and babies from several barangays came, including the datus from TIKULPA.

The attendance was quite good although the invitations were delivered only two or one day before due to the uncertainty of funds. The invitation was signed by Bae Magdalena and her nephew, Datu Embak Suhat, a former kagawad of the Arakan municipality, whose father used to own on behalf of the clan huge tracts of land in the poblacion and surrounding barangays, including the 5,000 plus hectares “given” to the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in the 1950s.  Datu Embak’s father (the eldest brother of Bae Magdalena) was killed by a USM security guard in 1986 after they negotiated and claimed back about 100 hectares.

The meeting was held in the open-air building of the municipal Department of Agriculture. Food was prepared by members of the Suhat clan, who also provided me with lodging for the night of March 29. The meeting started around 9 am of 30 March with the singing of the national anthem, an invocation by Datu Tagel Sawit from Bgy. Kinawayan (near the boundaries of Davao and Bukidnon), and remarks from datu and barangay captain Dalunday Tumandig of Bgy. Tumandig.  Bae explained the circumstances behind the initiative to convene an Arakan-wide Council of Elders.  The languages used were mostly Cebuano and Manobo. A young lady (the daughter of Datu Amado Mampo, a high school graduate who works in a restaurant in Davao City) provided me with some translation.

From about 9:45 to 11:00 am, I discussed the CARHRIHL, human rights, IHL, and Sulong CARHRIHL. The medium I used was Filipino. In some instances, Bae translated into Manobo or Cebuano for emphasis or clarity. I had brought over copies of the Inter Armas Caritas produced by the ICRC (which had some parts in Cebuano), the Cebuano translation of the ACCORD Workshop Report on Engaging Armed Groups in Peace Processes, the Sulong brochure in Filipino, and the OPAPP’s primer on CARHIRHL, which was in English.

Despite language and literacy difficulties, these were appreciated.  I regretted I did not bring a computer to be able to air some of our radio spiels, or “tikada”. I was informed of the lack of facilities but did not count on at least an electrical outlet.

On the various impact of war on civilians, they showed their familiarity with these types of travails, having experienced these in the past decades.  Today, there is less direct physical threat of armed conflict in the poblacion; the more problematic areas are the barangays near the Davao border.

The next session was led by Datu Embak  who proceeded to lay down the plan for the Arakan Council of Elders, and to endorse the leadership of Bae Magdalena.  Two datus spoke afterward, including Datu Medilo Libuan of TIKULPA. Both congratulated Bae and Embak for the initiative of bringing them together and expressed support for the plans. They welcomed the invitation to become Sulong CARHRIHL’s local partner in Arakan Valley.

It was on this auspicious note when lunch was served. After lunch, I left for the bus terminal to take the 3-hour rough ride on a mini-bus to Kidapawan, capital city of Cotabato province. The meeting was to last until the next day.

Consultation with IID in Davao and More Next Steps

In Davao City on 31 March, I met with Mary Ann Arnado of the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) at the Catholic Relief Service office where they were assessing the Bud Dahu Centennial Commemoration.  She shared information and insights on the MALUPA, Arakan and Bae Magdalena who is also a leading member of the Mindanao Peoples’ Caucus and of the provincial team of the Bantay Ceasefire in North Cotabato.

We also discussed similarly affected IP communities in Davao City and nearby areas and agreed on the ff.:

• Inclusion of a session on CARHRIHL/Sulong CARHRIHL during the General Assembly of the Mindanao People’s Caucus on 3-5 May 2006 in Bukidnon. This eventually materialized with me making a presentation on the challenges posed by the government-National Democratic Front peace process, and the body adopting a resolution to actively address this concern.
• The holding of a Davao IP consultation in June 2006 on CARHRIHL/Sulong CARHRIHL to be facilitated by the PANAGTAGBO, a lumad (indigenous peoples) organization in Mindanao, and the IID. The Sulong Secretariat drew up a concept paper and budget from the current project fund from Norway, for partnership-building.

In the meantime, Sulong continues to monitor the progress of its recent efforts in Arakan and Davao while also awaiting fresh and timely opportunities for cooperation in relation to the peace issues in these places. It has been helping Bae Magdalena develop project proposals to help build the Arakan Council of Elders into a strong community-based organization working for peace and human rights.