eMindanao is a partnership born of the need to link together universities in Hawaii and Mindanao to share resources in the pursuit of forging understanding and peace in the southern Philippines. Envisioned to bridge the many cultures of the Philippines separated by geography, religion, and ideology, eMindanao strives to be a premier space of learning and conversation on Mindanao. eMindanao also serves as a forum of exchange and dialogue on the conflict and attendant peace process featuring information on the history and contemporary events on the region revealed in digital resources, such as news, scholarly articles, books, images, and other materials on the internet. The consortium consists of five partner universities operating individually and jointly. Its base is located at the Center for Philippine Studies (CPS), University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. This much we do in the name of bridging cultures and promoting peace.
Photo Credits: Above – Three Maranao Datus (Sultan of Bayang, Sultan of Oato, and Datu of Oato – Camp Vicars , Library of Congress Archives, John J. Pershing Collection); Below –Manobo woman. Courtesy of Dave (www.thelongestwayhome.com).
_____________________________________________________________
Isis-backed militants struggle for control in the southern Philippines
by Simon Tisdall, The Guardian, May 28, 2017
The death toll in Marawi city, where martial law has been imposed, stands at 85, with Islamic State claiming responsibility.
Fears are growing that a violent attempt by local militants to seize a city in the island of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, marks the beginning of a wider attempt by Islamic State to open a new south-east Asian front in its campaign of global jihad.
Latest reports on Sunday from Marawi city, capital of the majority Muslim Lanao del Sur province, said 19 civilians had been killed by Islamist militants locked in street battles with security forces. The dead included three women and a child, officials said.
More about this story here.
_____________________________________________________________
MILF clashes with members of Maute group
By: Julie Alipala – @inquirerdotnet
Inquirer Mindanao / 03:16 PM December 09, 2016
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Friday clashed with members of the Maute group who were fleeing the military operations in Lanao del Sur, the military said.
Major Filemon Tan Jr., spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, said based on the report they got, the Maute group suffered casualties in the incident, which took place in the borders of Buldon and Barira towns in Maguindanao province with Butig in Lanao del Sur.
Tan said the MILF members, led by a Jimmu Balitor, suffered two injuries in the 7 a.m. clash.
“Balitor’s group encountered the withdrawing Maute members under Abdullah Maute at the tri-boundary of Buldon, Barira and Butig,” Tan said.
He said the military in the area has been in coordination with Balitor’s group, and soldiers were also now conducting “complementary combat operations” near the clash site. JE/rga
_________________________________________________________
Misuari comes in from the cold
Nur Misuari emerged from three years of hiding in his forested Jolo Island redoubt and was flown to Manila in a private jet for a meeting on Thursday with President Duterte in Malacañang, where he vowed to help bring peace to Mindanao and expose Malaysia’s role in the Abu Sayaff kidnappings for ransom in the south.
The 77-year-old founder of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the President embraced like “long-lost brothers,” said peace adviser Jesus Dureza, who was tasked with bringing the rebel leader to Malacañang after a Pasig court suspended for six months, at the government’s behest, an arrest warrant against him for the 2013 siege of Zamboanga.
Read post here.
_____________________________________________________________
Countering ISIS Threat among Muslim Youth in Mindanao
By: Datu Mussolini Sinsuat Lidasan
This is a colloquium/conversation on the growing radicalization among Islamic groups (Abu Sayyaf, BIFF, etc.) in the southern Philippines, partly due to historical factors and also to recent global events in the Middle East where ISIS and Al-Qaeda operate. How to prevent the youth from joining these jihadist groups is the subject of discussion in this forum. Mussolini Sinsuat Lidasan, director of Al Qalam Institute of Islamic Identities and Dialogue, Ateneo de Davao University, is the speaker. The event is hosted by the Center for Philippine Studies, in collaboration with the East-West Center. See more details here –
Lecture
Date:May 2, 2016, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Venue: Manoa Campus, Moore 319 (Tokioka Room)
Source of image: topiktrend.com
______________________________________________________________
Maguindanao killing fields and SAF 44
By Federico Magdalena, PhD
HONOLULU – January 25, 2015 is a bloody day in the town of Mamasapano, Maguindanao. This is where 44 members of Special Action Forces (SAF) perished. SAF is the police commando that launched Operation Wolverine to arrest two “high-value” terrorists: Marwan (Jukifli Abdhir) and Usman (Abdul Basit Usman). These terrorists are behind the series of bombings in Mindanao, authorities claim. SAF succeeded in taking down Marwan, with photo and cut finger for DNA testing as proof. (The FBI confirmed the DNA signature was indeed Marwan’s, after comparing it with his brother who is under US custody.) Unfamiliar of the terrain, however, they retreated into the lair of the 105th Base Command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Outnumbered, the MILF mowed them down mercilessly with the help of rogue rebels, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). Read post…
______________________________________________________________
Fieldwork Report on the Mansaka of Davao
By Joy Marfil
I was in the Philippines from July 18 to August 4, 2013, to do my field research on Mansaka music in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, in preparation for my dissertation. My objectives were to interview musicians about their culture and traditions, and to record Mansaka songs, music, and dance. But I was surprised to learn that a protocol has to be followed in order for me to do research. Supposedly I had to meet the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and had to secure a Free and Prior Inform Consent (FPIC) to gain access for my research. Usually the process takes about three months and there is no guarantee they would permit me to do my research in the tribal community. So I went to see the newly elected mayor of Tagum City, Mayor Allan Rellon, to ask his help. He was very supportive and immediately called Honorable Datu Rudy (Kimud) Onlos (Tribal Chieftain, Tagum City Federation of Barangay Tribal Council) to allow and assist me in my research. Mayor Rellon believed that my research would benefit their tribal community as well. Also, my classmate in high school, Dr. Janet Veloso, who is now a Division Supervisor of the Department of Education, Davao Region, helped me to negotiate with Mayor Rellon and Datu Onlos, with whom she is close friends. If not for Dr. Veloso, I would have had a hard time doing my research. Read post…
