BOOK REVIEW Light on dark conflicts Primed and Purposeful by Soliman M Santos et al
Reviewed by Fabio Scarpello
MANILA - With its wide array of rebel and other armed groups, the Philippines'
many long-running conflicts have long baffled outside observers. Primed and
Purposeful, a recently released new volume written jointly by a
distinguished group of experts, shines valuable new light on the country's
complex and often contradictory socio-political context.
Two major revolts - one ideological led by the Communist Party of the
Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing the New People's Army (NPA), the other
grounded in ethnic identity issues driven separately by the Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) - have
been active for roughly four decades in protracted fights to resist rule from
Manila.
Competing rebel factions, foreign jihadis and paramilitary units
associated with the security forces have often contributed to the deadly
violence and the culture of impunity that perpetuates the conflicts. This book
attempts, and for the most part succeeds, in making sense of the often obscure
and hidden dynamics behind the violence.
The book relies on three key strengths: the experience of the writers; a
macro-level research methodology; and a narrative divided between thematic and
factual sections, including in-depth profiles of the various rebel groups and
protagonists.
The book's authors, among them renowned experts on the MILF, the Abu Sayyaf
Group and the Philippine security apparatus, rely heavily on primary sources
and revealing interviews with many of the rebel groups' leaders. Especially
compelling are author interviews with the late Khadaffy Janjalani, brother of
ASG founder Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani and the leader of the group for a
period.
Late NPA leader Sotero Llamas is critically assessed within the context of a
case study of the communist rebellion in the northern Bicol region, one of the
historic strongholds of the rebel group. The case study underlines in detail
how the rebel movement took advantage of the weakness of the local government
to establish a de facto parallel administrative system.
The book's rich trove of primary source material is balanced and fortified with
hitherto unreleased intelligence information and research reports from
reputable academic and other institutions, including Jane's Strategic Advisory
Services.
The thematic section places the Philippines' violent past and present into
broad historical context, explaining why the insurgencies have persisted for
several decades without resolution. Without indulging in romanticism or
hypercriticism, the book provides dispassionate analyses of conflicts that have
exacted a heavy human and emotional toll on the Philippines.
The book also tackles how the United States-led "war on terror" impacted on
several of the conflicts. Analysis of the ASG challenges the dominant view of a
tightly controlled terrorist organization that operates in lock step with
al-Qaeda or regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). Instead, the authors
assert through extensive interviews and research that linkages with "external
groups are loose and incidental, rather than critical to their operations".
The chapter on paramilitary forces is particularly pertinent to the current
events in the Philippines, including the May 10 elections. The research focuses
on the military-controlled Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAGFU), the
police-controlled Civilian Volunteers Organizations (CVO) and the private
armies recruited and maintained by businessmen and politicians.
These unaccountable groups are portrayed as key perpetrators of the violence,
including involvement in the high number of extrajudicial killings across the
country, especially on the southern island of Mindanao. In the context of the
MNLF and MILF, the authors argue they represent an intersection between the
horizontal conflict among local warlords fighting turf wars and the vertical
conflict between Moro rebel groups and the state.
Last year's election-related massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province,
allegedly executed by a mixture of CAGFUs, CVOs and private militias under the
control of a warlord-cum-politician, Andal Ampatuan Jr, tragically underscored
the culture of impunity that allows these armed groups to thrive. The book's
last chapter details the movement and widespread availability of small arms and
light weapons across the country.
Another chapter gives a compelling overview of the Philippines' various and
often failed attempts at disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of
rebel groups. The analysis finds that Manila has failed consistently to provide
enough funds for what is widely viewed as a critical component of conflict
resolution. Meanwhile, rebel groups have frequently floundered in attempts to
transform themselves into viable political organizations once entering the DDR
process.
Although some of the group profiles are dated, the book is arguably the most
comprehensive resource to date on the subject, including detailed sections on
lesser-known small rebel groups that have either splintered from or fused to
larger armed organizations. The authors provide trenchant analysis of five
offshoots of the CPP/NPA, including the Revolutionary Workers' Party of the
Philippines and its armed wing, the Revolutionary Proletarian Army Alex
Boncayao Brigade.
Sections on the Moro rebellion delve into obscure armed groups like the Rajah
Solaiman Movement - a terrorist organization of former Christians converted to
Islam - the Pentagon Gang, a criminal gang with alleged ties to the MILF, and
other armed tribal and indigenous people's groups.
Each of the profiles includes in-depth information on their varied military
strength, weaponry and capacity for negotiations. For anyone interested in
non-traditional security issues in the Philippines, this valuable and long
overdue volume is a must-read.
Primed and Purposeful: Armed Groups and Human Security Efforts in the
Philippines by Soliman M Santos Jr and Paz Verdades M. Santos with
Octavio A Dinampo, Herman Joseph S Kraft, Artha Kira and Raymund Jose G Quilop.
South-South Network for Non-state Armed Group Engagement and the Small Arms
Survey, Geneva (April 2010). ISBN: 978-2-940415-29-8. 440 pages.
Fabio Scarpello is the Southeast Asia correspondent for Adnkronos
International. He may be contacted at fscarpello@gmail.com
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Late NPA leader Sotero Llamas is critically assessed within the context of a
case study of the communist rebellion in the northern Bicol region, one of the
historic strongholds of the rebel group. The case study underlines in detail
how the rebel movement took advantage of the weakness of the local government
to establish a de facto parallel administrative system.
