ZAHIRA B.

DATULANGALEN
MPA 1 - C

THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OF GENERAL

SALIPADA K. PENDATUN, MAGUINDANAO ON THE BANGSAMORO ORGANIC
LAW

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

More than at any time in our history, our world is engaged in conflict. From the

UK and USA engaged at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, through to insurgencies in Algeria,

Burma and Columbia, civil wars in African nations, and conflict between people in

China, Iran and Israel, we see that we are in a fragile landscape. All conflicts are

different with their particular history and reasons (Shah, 2009).

Peace agreements are contracts intended to end a violent conflict, or to

significantly transform a conflict, so that it can be more constructively addressed. There

are various types of agreements that can be reached during a peace process. Each

type of agreement has a distinct purpose and serves a value in itself towards building

positive momentum for a final settlement. These agreements, however, are not easily

distinguished, as the content may sometimes overlap. Not all types of agreements are

needed for each conflict. Some processes may have step-by-step agreements that lead

towards a comprehensive settlement. Other peace processes may seek to negotiate

one agreement comprehensively (Yawanarajah & Ouellet, 2003).

 Philippines has experienced internal conflict for over four decades. This includes

violence related to two main causes: a communist-inspired insurgency and a separatist

struggle in the southern Bangsamoro region. Discontent arising from the repression of

dissent and foreign interference in the Philippines led to the formation of the Communist

Party of the Philippines after World War II. It aimed to overthrow the government, and

remains active; peace talks between it and the government have so far been

unsuccessful.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law is the result of decades-long peace negotiations

between the rebel groups in Mindanao, mainly the MILF, and the Philippine

Government. The BOL abolishes the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

established in 1989 through Republic Act No. 6734 and strengthened in 2001 through

Republic Act No. 9054. Officials have earlier called the ARMM a failure, marred by

corruption and mismanagement. The new law then creates the Bangsamoro

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), or simply the Bangsamoro

Autonomous Region.

Last January 21, 2019, opening a new chapter in their history, the people of the

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) voted to ratify the law creating a new

Bangsamoro region. The Local Government Unit of General Salipada K. Pendatun have

their full support in the incoming Bangsamoro government and participate in the

plebiscite. In General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao, the voters chose to

approve the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) or Republic Act 11054. 100 percent of the

people in the Municipality of General SK, Pendatun, Maguindanao voted “YES”.

 Thus, the researcher aim to trace and understand the perceptions of the elected

Government Officials of General Salipada K. Pendatun. Maguindanao about

Bangsamoro Organic Law Also, the researcher aim to understand if they are infavor of

the separation of the Muslim Mindanao from the government. Furthermore, this will also

serve as a reference for future studies for those students who wish to conduct a paper

which is similar to such topic.

 Review of Related Literature

This chapter presents related literature and studies that are significant in this research.

In the past hundred years, the United States has sent more than 39 million

Americans to fight in wars. More than 631,000 of them have been killed. More than

1,224,000 have been seriously wounded or maimed.1 Each of these Americans was or

is a real person with real values, goals, dreams, loved ones. Each experienced his or

her body in some way being violated, impaled, crushed, blown up, or torn apart. The

families and friends of each have suffered a kind of pain for which there are no words.

General W. T. Sherman famously said war is Hell. But war is worse than Hell. War is

real, and it destroys people’s lives ( Biddle, 2014).

Today, war continues to wreak havoc on America and the world at large. Iran and

Saudi Arabia—along with their proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and al Qaeda—are

at war with America and Israel; Islamic State is at war with everyone who denies its

interpretation of Islam; Russia is at war with Ukraine; Sudanese are at war with

Sudanese; Somalis with Somalis; Syrians with Syrians; and on and on.

From early colonialism to modern capitalism, our western economic growth has

often been at the detriment of other nations where, for example, we have aggressively

acquired assets, created trade routes, or leveraged economic scale to source products,

assets, and services artificially cheaply. These processes, while creating great wealth

and development in Europe and the USA, have exacerbated poverty and economic

inequality in many nations, creating a great deal of tension and potential for conflict

(Shah, 2009).
 According to Republic Act No. 11054, an act providing for the Organic law for

the Bangsamoro Automous Region in Muslim Mindanao, it is made to establish a new

autonomous political entity in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR). It aims to

bring peace by addressing the grievances, sentiments, and demands of Muslims in the

region. The BAR is a parliamentary-democratic government consists of an executive

and a legislative branch. It will be headed by the regional leader called the Chief

Minister, who will be chosen among members of the Bangsamoro government while its

members will be elected by the people.

This Act which is a consolidation of House Bill No. 6475 and Senate Bill No.

1717 was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on July 24, 2018

and July 23, 2018, respectively. It will provide annual block grants and special

development funds to be allotted for the rehabilitation of damaged communities in the

Bangsamoro region. The amount of the block grant is P60 to 70 billion – equivalent to

five percent of the net national internal revenue collection of the Bureau of Internal

Revenue and of the Bureau of Custom.

The ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) last January 25, 2019 will

be the latest procurement of the administration to attain peace in Mindanao and end

their long-time struggle for independence. The recently abolished Autonomous Region

on Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was replaced by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

on Muslim Mindanao because some officials consider it as “failure due to corruption and

mismanagement”. The Palace called the ARMM a "failed state" and a "failed

experiment" that has held back the delivery of social services to the people in the

region. An audit of the funds for the ARMM has already been previously ordered by
President Aquino. Among the issues to be investigated are several ghost projects and

the failure of ARMM government to remit monthly government employees' contributions

to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

The Department of the Interior and Local Government of the Autonomous Region

in Muslim Mindanao (DILG-ARMM) Secretary Noor Hafizullah Abdullah in a press

briefing recently reiterated the positive impact of the coming of the Bangsamoro

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to the local government

units (LGUs). Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law or BOL, the new autonomous region

gets a 75 percent share of the total national taxes collected within its territory. It will also

receive a block grant equivalent to five percent share of the net national collections.

Local Government Units (LGU) that are neighbors of the proposed Bangsamoro

Autonomous Region may ask to be included in the January 2019 plebiscite to be part of

the region's territory. In a statement on Monday, October 22, the Commission on

Elections (Comelec) said contiguous LGUs may apply for voluntary inclusion in the

plebiscite on January 21, 2019, to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law. In accordance

with Republic Act 11054, Comelec's rules state that a petitioning LGU must submit 9

copies of a local council or Sanggunian resolution bearing its official seal and approved

by at least a majority of its members (Bueza, 2019).

A study conducted in 2018 by Sabio documented that the Bangsamoro Basic

Law outlines the relationship and power sharing between the Philippine Central

Government (CG) and the Bangsamoro Government (BG). As stipulated within House

Bill 4994 the CG is in charge of the the Bangsamoro’s defense, foreign policy, common
market and global trade, monetary policy,citizenship and naturalization among others,

as a hallmark of its place within the Philippine state’s overarching jurisdiction. These are

the CG’s reserved powers, incontrast to the BG’s exclusive powers which may be

unique to the Bangsamoro. The relationship between governments is described as

“asymmetric” though the agreements establish that they will at the same time

harmonize and coordinate their relationship, which may seem paradoxical. Perhaps a

“harmonization” can be found within concurrent powers held by both the CG and BG;

concurrent powerspredominantly have jurisdiction upon public welfare matters and

governmentoperations such as civil services, maintenance of infrastructure, public

safety and justice. These represent an overlap in interests and legal capability

which reflect theJuristic model, and is a clear practice of weak-form pluralism

Statement of the Problem

Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the perceptions of the elected officials of General Salipada K.

Pendatun, Maguindanao about Bangsamoro Organic Law?

2. Will the separation of Muslim Mindanao from the National Government favorable

to the elected officials of General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao?

Scope of the Study

The study focused on the perceptions of the Local Government Unit of General

Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao on the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Elected Officials

of the said Muncipality will be invited to participate in the study if they fulfill the following

criterias needed to the study. The researcher will be using researcher made in-depth

interview guide to obtain answers.

 Significance of the Study

This research will provide informations about the perceptions of the elected

Government Officials of General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao about

Bangsamoro Organic Law. The researcher aim to trace and understand if the Local

Government Unit of General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao are infavor of the

separation of the Muslim Mindanao from the National Government.

The results of the study will be of great benefit to the following:

National Government. Since Bangsamoro Organic Law aims to bring peace by

addressing the grievances, sentiments, and demands of Muslims in the region, it will be

Local Government Unit.This research would be of great help in a way that it

could serve as reference to the Local Government, its implementing department and for

future studies about the same subject matter.

Bangsamoro Community. This study will provide

Students. This study will provide more knowledge to the students about

Bangsamoro Organic Law. It will also serve as a reference for future studies for those

students who wish to conduct a paper which is similar to such topic.

Future Researchers. This study will help the future researchers to be aware and

knowledgeable about Bangasamoro Organic Law. It would help them to be a better

analyst and it can be a help as a future reference for more studies in the future.
 Definition of Terms

For a clearer understanding of this research work, the following terms had been

operationally defined:

Bangsamoro may refer to: Moro people, also known as the Bangsamoros, an ethinic

group in Southeast Asia.

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region is a proposed autonomous region within the

Philippines. The proposal is part of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, a

preliminary peace agreement signed between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the

government.

Bangsamoro Organic Law is the result of decades-long peace negotiations between

the rebel groups in Mindanao, mainly the MILF, and the Philippine Government.

Government Official refers to any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf

of any such government, department, agency, instrumentality, or public international

organization.

Local Government Unit are institutional units whose fiscal, legislative and executive

authority extends over the smallest geographical areas distinguished for administrative

and political purposes.

National Government is the government, or political authority, that controls a nation. At

minimum, a national government requires a national army, enough power over its states

or provinces to set and maintain foreign policy, and the ability to collect taxes.
 Conceptual Framework

The study will present the perceptions of the Local Government Unit of General

Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindano to the Bangsamoro Organic Law. The study will

also discuss if they are infavor in the separation of Muslim Mindanao from the National

Government.

Fig. 1. The Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework

Perceptions the Local

Government Unit of General
Salipada K. Pendatun,
Maguindano on the
Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The perceptions of The respondents’

level of
the elected officials satisfaction on the
of General Salipada implementation of
K. Pendatun, garbage disposal.

Maguindanao about
Bangsamoro
Organic Law
 METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology used in this study of the research on the

perceptions of the Local Government Unit of General Salipada K. Pendatun,

Maguindanao to the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Methods

This study utilizes the qualitative type of research due to its appropriateness to

the study. Qualitative research is defined as a market research method that focuses on

obtaining data through open-ended and conversational communication.This method is

not only about “what” people think but also “why” they think so (Bhat, 2019).

Under qualitative type of research, the researcher will conduct an in-depth

interview to the elected officials from Barangay to Municipal level of General Salipada K.

Pendatun, Maguindanao. In-depth interviewing is a qualitative research technique that

involves conducting intensive individual interviews to explore their perspectives on a

particular idea and situation.

In-depth interview is appropriate when you want detailed informations about a

person’s thoughts and behaviors or want to explore new issues in depth. The primary

advantage of in-depth interviews is that they provide much more detailed information

than what is available through other data collection methods (Boyce & Neale, 2006).
 Thematic Analysis will also be used to generate themes from interview data. In

thematic analysis it will identify patterns of themes in the interview data. It will be easy

for the readers to understand exactly how the researcher reached the various

conclusions about the participants and will make the results much more trustworthy.

Locale of the Study

The study will be conducted in the Municipality of General Salipada K.

Pendatun, Maguindanao since the chosen respondents are the elected Government

Officials of the said Municipality. The respondents will be interviewed in their offices. It is

important to interview the Local Government Unit of the said Municipality because the

researcher aims to know and understand their perceptions about Bangsamoro Organic

Law.

General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao is a landlocked municipality in the

coastal province of Maguindanao. According to the Bureau of Local Government

Finance, the annual regular revenue of General Salipada K. Pendatun for the fiscal year

of 2016 was ₱78,967,015.59. The municipal center of General Salipada K. Pendatun is

situated at approximately 6° 50' North, 124° 45' East, in the island of Mindanao.

Elevation at these coordinates is estimated at 10.3 meters or 33.8 feet above mean sea

level.

There are 19 barangays in General Salipada K. Pendatun. Most of the residents

are Muslim. You can also encounter non-Muslim but only a few. Most of them are public

teachers in the said Municipality. The Local Government Officials of General Salipada

K. Pendatun are all pure Muslim.

Participants of the Study

The elected officials of General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao from

Barangay to Municipal level are the participants of the study.

Elected Officials of the said Muncipality will be invited to participate in the study

if they fulfill the following criterias:

 Participants must have served for at least three (3) years.

 Must be a College Graduate.
 Resident of General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao for at least 10 years.
 There is a consent to participate in the study.

Instrument

The list of questions that will be ask to the participants of the study during the in-

depth interview are researcher made. All of the interview questions will be focused on

the topic. This will help to ensure that the data gathered is useful to the readers and not
a waste of time. The conversation will begin with a warm-up question by asking a simple

question to the participants so that they can easily answer and make them feel more

relax.

Data Gathering Procedure

For the purposes of this research, in depth interviews will be used. Before

the interview, the researcher will seek permission from the office of the Graduate

School Dean of Notre Dame of Marbel University and the Municipal Mayor of General

Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao. A communication letter will be sent to allow the

researcher to conduct an in depth interview and gather necessary datas about the

perceptions of the Local Government Unit of General Salipada K. Pendatun,

Maguindanao to the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The researcher will also obtain informed consent before involving the

participants, so that they will be informed and educated about the purpose, the

procedures, the risks and benefits of the study. The following procedure will be

observed in the conduct of this study. The conduction of the research involved the use
of semi-structured questionnaire which will be used as an interview guide for the

researcher. Questions will be prepared by the researcher to guide the interview

towards the satisfaction of research objectives.

There will be someone taking video while conducting an interview. After the

interview, the researcher will do a thematic analysis to analyze the researcher’s

interview. Thematic analysis is important for the validity of the results. It will be easy for

the readers to understand exactly how the researcher reached the conclusions about

the participants and will make the results much more trustworthy.

In thematic analysis the researcher will familiarize first the datas. Then, generate

the initial codes, create the initial themes, review the themes, define the themes and

lastly the researcher will produce the final report of the datas.

Ethical Considerations

Voluntary participation of the participants in the research is important. Moreover,

participants have rights to withdraw from the study at any stage if they wish to do so.

Participants should participate on the basis of informed consent. The principle of

informed consent involves researchers providing sufficient information and assurances

about taking part to allow individuals to understand the implications of participation and

to reach a fully informed, considered and freely given decision about whether or not to

do so, without the exercise of any pressure or coercion.

 IN DEPTH INTERVIEW

The purpose of this questionnaire is to determine the perceptions of the elected

officials of General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao about Bangsamoro Organic

Law, the effects to the Local Government Unit and the reason why Muslim Mindanao

wants to separate from the National Government.

1. What are the perceptions of the elected Officials of General Salipada K.

Pendatun, Maguindanao about Bangsamoro Organic Law?

 How many years are you in service as a Municipal Mayor of General

Salipada K, Pendatun, Maguindanao?

 As a Municipal Mayor of General Salipada K, Pendatun, Maguindanao,

what can you say about Bangsamoro Organic Law?

 Do you think it will be effective in diminishing conflicts in the Municipality of

of General Salipada K, Pendatun?

 What will be the effects of the Bangsamoro Organic Law to the

Bangsamoro Community?

2. What are the effects of the Bangsamoro Organic Law to the Local

Government Unit of General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao?

 What are the significant impact of the BOL to you as a Municipal Mayor of

GSKP?
 Is it true that some government employees will lose their jobs because of
the BOL?

3. Why Muslim Mindanao wants to separate from the National Government.?

 What is your discernment in the separation of Muslim Mindanao from

National Government?
 Do you think that it’s a good idea that Muslim Mindanao must be

separated from the National Government?

 What are the plans and how will you address those groups who will

continue to struggle even after the establishment of the BARMM?

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