Nationalism, Diversity, and Security:

A Case Study of Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago, and the Philippines

Rey Ty
December 14, 2014
Dear Friends,
May I request you to be my research collaborators to provide short answers to questions that I will quote,
please? As you know, I conduct research and publish articles with quotes from friends like you who are
involved in the public realm in social action work that promotes positive social change.
In the past, I have conducted research on (1) Muslim perspectives of peacebuilding and (2) Women in
Peacebuilding in which you might have participated for which I am thankful. This specific research here focuses
on (3) Nationalism, Diversity, and Security. Some questions in the above-mentioned research might be similar,
because all these research papers deal with Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago, but please note that the focus of
each paper is different, based on the topics I have cited above. Hence, please do not be confused, as they are
all different research papers. Be assured that you are not uselessly repeating yourself. Your voices will go out
in different papers, which will be widely distributed in Academia.edu, Research Gate, Slideshare.net, and
elsewhere. Some might be presented in conferences. Some might be published too. As you know, I will let you
know for sure.
For your information, I am doing a parallel exactly-the-same research for indigenous groups in northern and
central Philippines. I still do not know if I will write two separate papers or integrate all findings for the whole
Philippines as one paper. If you have suggestions, please let me know, as I will consider your ideas.
Please use this form and answer right below each question. I hope you will answer all questions, but if you feel
not competent to answer some questions, please feel free to skip them. Kindly return your answers in this form
by email attachment to reyty1@gmail.com at your earliest convenience, seven days after you received this
questionnaire, at the latest, please. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Rey Ty
1.

INFORMED CONSENT: I am an adult (18 years old or older). I am aware that my participation is
voluntary and I am free to participate or to withdraw at any time in the research project titled
Nationalism, Diversity, and Security. If I have questions about this study, I will contact Rey Ty
through his email at reyty1@gmail.com. As my community service and public service are public
information, I decide to have all information gathered during this study made public, as I am happy
to publicize all my social-action related activities that promote social change and therefore inspire
more people to do similar work. I know that there are no right or wrong answers. What matters is
that readers and listeners want to hear my views and whether my views are similar or different from
other peoples views do not matter. I will benefit from this research as readers and listeners will
know about my name, my profile, my views, and my work, as they will be made public. I understand
that there are no known risks or discomforts associated with this research. If and when I do not feel
comfortable about given my views publicly about certain matters, I will not share those views here. I
acknowledge to have received a copy of this consent form. I give my consent to have my name
appear in the research findings, for the researcher to quote me in any paper resulting from this
interview, and to have my photographs appear in the research findings. By typing my name below
which serves as my digital signature and returning this form to Rey Ty by email, I am giving my
consent to participate in this research.
Please type your full name here: Abdurahim, Aldrin Bucoy
Nickname: Aldrin Date: December 16,
2014
2. Please give me your full profile, including titles (such as Bae, Datu, Director, Dr., Sultan, etc.). At

least give me your full name, your traditional and academic titles, your current job title and job
description (if any), optionally your important past jobs too, the place where you live in and work
(province, city, etc.) and other important information. I will take extracts from your profile and
identify you.
Answer: I am Engr. Aldrin Bucoy-Abdurahim, CoE. I am a freelance trainer.
3. What is your ethnicity or what are your ethnicities?
Answer: Sama Tausug and Zamboangueno
4. What is your religion?
Answer: Islam
5. Please give your brief summary of the history of conflict situation in Mindanao and Sulu. I know that
there are different views on the Mindanao Conflict and I would like to hear your views.
Answer: The long-struggle and conflict in Mindanao is attributed to the issue of land grabbing by settlers
from original inhabitants of Mindanao. Such caused greater violence which until now is prevalent. The
century old armed struggle is caused by the continuous poverty and structural violence that hits Mindanao.
Such increase of incidences of violence is further caused by the biases and prejudices we have over another
due to the differences we have in terms of race, culture and religion, gender and sex and other orientations.
For me, this is the main brief od the conflict in Mindanao that had resulted to the formation of many
revolutionary groups in the country.
6. Please give the causes of the Mindanao and Sulu conflict. Please enumerate or give a list and
explain one by one.
Answer: The century old armed struggle is caused by the continuous poverty and structural violence that hits
Mindanao. People still is living below poverty that is being attributed to ones personal attitude of being lazy
and very dependent to government aids. Moreover, even if we have no agreed definition of poverty, the gap
between the rich and the poor and the social classes is even connected to various forms of poverty. We
have the mentality of always lacking. We are not contented on what we have in life and we always aspire
for more. Poverty is a moral issue as well. While we agree that there are so many poor, the world can still
spend billions of money for armaments and security weapons.
The continuous desire to be in power and control ultimately results to corruption and selfishness. Of which
political dynasty came into existence. Nepotism became a=one greatest culture in terms of politics and
power.
Mindanao in its entirety is very rich in terms of culture and economic resources, since we are always
detained in human rights violations, human security is affected and that trading and economic enterprises
were affected. The arm struggles among revolutionary and rebel groups and that of the AFP and PNP
resulted to more destructions- properties, loss of lives and others costs of conflict to include the recent
ZAMBOANGA SIEGE last year.
The violences we experience in our life is further caused by the biases and prejudices we have over
another due to the differences we have in terms of race, culture and religion, gender and sex and other
orientations. Many associate the Mindanao conflict to be religious in nature. We admit to the fact that we
also has an issue on this. Our religious groups is not united with the single teachings of the church since we
are classified according to denominations. The differences we have if not appreciated and celebrated
caused divisions and gaps. This include for example that for Muslims who are further subdivided into 13
groups and four school of thoughts.
7.

Please give your perspective and evaluate all the efforts to solve the Mindanao and Sulu conflict. I
know that there are different perspectives on all the peace agreements, etc. I would like to hear your
views.
Answer: I have high hopes with the Peace Agreement being lodged by the MILF and GPH but I have
apprehensions with the other groups. The main issue for me right now is the sentiment of the rest of the
people over MILFs positioning to represent the Bangsamoro people which is in contrast with the claims of
the people on the ground. I believe there has to be still the efforts to unify the MNLF and MILF and combat
the presence of Abu Sayyaf and BIFF and he NPA. Even if the agreement will be passed into law, there is
still no assurance for genuine peace in Mindanao.

8.

Please describe diversity in the Philippine context in terms of national majority and national
minorities. Diversity means have many, such as many religions, ethnicities, and cultures.
Answer: Diversity in the Philippines is prevalent in terms of religion and ethnicities. The Philippines is a
Catholic country which isolates the Muslim in Mindanao areas. Of course in terms of religion, the Christian is
majority in the Philippines. The culture being observed in government where we have the majority and
minority in the congress best represent the divisions in our society. Even if there exist this social stigma,
everyone is being given the needed representation. We label ourselves with such due to population or
numbers.
9. Is diversity a problem for the country called the Philippines? Since when is diversity a problem or
not a problem? Please explain.
Answer: Diversity is not a problem in thePhilippines. It is to be celebrated as it promotes greater appreciation
of who we are. The term has been used by so many as an advantage point for tourism industry. Because we
are different from one another, this signify that we sometimes differ from points of view and how we look at
things, but above all, these are inspirations. This make us so unique.
10. If you think diversity is a problem, what changes have resulted? If you think diversity is not a
problem, please type NA or skip this question.
Answer: NA
11. How have majority/minority relationships (as we see them today) been established before the
Philippines became a country as we know it today? Please give a short summary about history
here.
Answer: I understand before the Philippines came into existence, there is already the powerful empire of the
orient- the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo which is a majority relationship with the rest of thw orld and
came the various groups like the Malays, Indonesians,Aetas, Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and the rest
of the world.
Because of colonization and expedition by various groups,the Philippines came to existence.
12. How have majority/minority relationships been established after the Philippines became a country
as we know it today? Please give a short summary of the situation since after independence and
World War II at around 1946 to the present.
Answer: I am not well-versed on this point. My analysis is it became worse due to various groups trying to
colonize the spaces and properties of the minorities especially during the Spanish, American and Japanese
occupation.
13. Are national minorities inherently a security concern? Please explain.
Answer: the monirities is not a security concern for me because such division is all caused by social labels
due to power and political agenda.
14. Do national minorities generate new forms of nationalism? Please explain.
Answer: With the claim to have autonomy in Mindanao, the minorities in its honest intention wanted to
establish another form of nationalism. Since there had been interventions already, the claim for
independence of Mindanao for the Bangsamoro was shifted to governance issue. At the end, we all remain
to be Filipinos.
15. In the final analysis, what do national minorities really want: (a) assimilation (be fully absorbed into
the mainstream majority), (b) integration (join one country but keep identity, culture, religion, etc.),
(c) autonomous region, (d) independence (secession, etc.), or others (please specify)? Please give
your personal views based on your own background (for example, you can say Im a Muslim Yakan
from Sulu or Muslim Iranun from Maguindanao, or Christianized Tboli Lumad from). Additionally,
you can also give the views of political groups.
Answer: I am a Sama Muslim- the group for me wanted just to be fully absorbed by the mainstream majority.
It is caused by the negligence of the majority on the welfare of our groups leading to the culture of begging
and mendicancy. We wanted to be co-eqal with the rest of the people.
In the context of being a Tausug Muslim, I know ever since the fight is all about independence and not
autonomous region. We wanted to be indenpdent in terms of governance but remains to be a Filipino. On
the contrary, working with the Counicl of Royal Datus of the Sultanate of Sulu, their long term plan is to be a
separate state away from the Philippines for areas of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The government would always

resort to giving autonomous region as the option.

16. What role does citizenship play when it comes to security?
Answer: Citizenship is not an issue at all. But I see this as a crucial element in National Security because
this adds identity to the State.
17. What role does citizenship play when it comes to national minorities?
Answer:For other minorities, citizenship is no longer an issue because what matters to them are food for the
table and other survival issues. For those who had been in the continuous struggle for self governance,
citizenship had been fought with the Government but it was totally rejected and compromise came. With the
standing peace agreement, both parties agreed to be Filipinos still.
18. Do national minority policies help or hinder security? Please give concrete example/s and explain.
Answer: At certain point yes it hinder Security, like the policy of self-rule governance by the bangsamoro
juridical entity, it became a factor for greater armed struggle last 2008.
19. Is multiculturalism necessary for security in a diverse country such as the Philippines? Please
explain how this can concretely be institutionalized, if you believe it is a good policy for
implementation. If not, please explain. Multiculturalism is the belief and practice of recognizing and
respecting the differences among people of different cultures, ethnicities, religions, etc.
Answer: Yes multiculturalism is necessary for security in a diverse country like the Philippines. This can only
be institutionalized with the merging of all significant institutions like Culture and the Arts, Commission on
Muslim Filipinos and Commission on Indigenous Peoples and other faith groups all over the country. We
need to amend some provisions of the constitution like the separation of the curch and state if we wanted to
appreciate greater diversity.
20. What role does integration play in the relationship between the country and the citizen? Please
explain. Integration means all territories are under one country (Philippines) and people in the
different regions keep their own cultures, etc.
Answer: Integration is the key element in the relationship of the State and the People. Because it
complements with what the country desires and that the people knows how to go forth the goals of the
country. We need integration in the country.
21. What role do national institutions play in securing the Philippines? Please cite concrete examples.
Answer:The National institutions should have been the leading agencies in securing the country. However
due to political divisions and the context of separation of the three branches of government which they say is
co-equal branches, these causes further insecurities in the country.
22. What role do regional or local institutions play in securing the Philippines? Please cite concrete
examples?
Answer: These regional or local institutions have expanded jurisdiction over the affairs of the local
constituents. Their role should have been more focused on the extent of their jurisdiction in securing the
area. however, because of bureaucracy with the National instituions and in terms of budget, programs are
most often delayed dues to observance of Standard Operating procedures that needs consent with higher
institutions.
23. How do political parties respond to questions of minority and security?
Answer: They themselves initiates the labels of majority and minority. The power one has in terms of politics
affects the conditions of peace and security in various areas of the Philippines. They should have uses such
influence to protect people but it is managed to the contrary.
24. What positive roles can international organizations play to empower minorities in the Philippines?
Please cite concrete examples.
Answer: The international organizations had been extending greater help in order to alleviate and even
eliminate insecurities and empower one. Like for example US embassy empower communities through
Legal Aids, Small Grants and Funding of livelihood programs and convert communities to be resilient and
empowered.
25. Please explain how international human rights standards can (or cannot) promote and protect the
rights of minorities in the Philippines.
Answer: International Human rights standards sets as baselines and guidelines in order to protect better the
welfare of the communities. However these standards tend to be secondary in nature as against what the
constitution provides. Since it is domestically applied, these human rights standards further assists our
people to fight for justice and defend ones rights.
26. Did extreme-right or far-right groups emerge to assert majority rule and reject minority rights and

voices or vice-versa? Please explain.

Answer: Yes the presence of CPP NPA or communist groups in the Philippines and other revolutionary
groups emerges to assert the impacts of majority rule and rejection of minority rights. Their presence are still
indicators that we are not co-equal with the rest of the people.
27. Please explain your views of secularization (separation of religion and politics or what Christians call
separation of church and state) in administering government functions. Please cite examples, if
necessary.
Answer: Secularization in the Philippines is no longer effective. Both gets to meddle in terms of national
decisions. When one gets to opposed the other and vice- versa, the Philippines is always at the turmoil. We
need to revisit back this idea and study better. Other countries become so succesfful with the better
appreciation of both the church and the state working together.
28. How do the majority and minorities view terrorist acts, such as killing civilians and all other acts in
violation of the laws of war?
Answer: All views it as against the law and public policy. Terrorism is a unified common societal divide that
needs the support of all in combatting and further not escalating.
29. In general, what specific policies do you recommend the Philippine government to develop and
implement in order to respect minorities and ensure security at the same time? Please enumerate
or list them down.
Answer: We just have to strengthen the Internal Peace and Security Plan that the Armed Forces of the
Philippines is campaigning. Bantay Bayanihan is the answer.
30. Please raise other questions that I have not asked that you believe must be asked and answered.
Please make sure to answer your own question/s too.
Answer:
31. Please feel free to critique my questions, especially if you believe I asked the wrong questions, and
please change them, if necessary, after which please answer them.
Answer:
You have reached the end of questions. Thank you so much for your assistance in this research. Kindly
return your answers in this form by email attachment to reyty1@gmail.com at your earliest convenience,
seven days after you received this questionnaire, at the latest, please. My gratitude. Rey