The Autonomous Region in Muslim

Mindanao (Filipino:Nagsasariling Rehiyon ng Muslim sa

Mindanaw) (abbreviatedARMM) is the region, located in
the Mindanao island group of thePhilippines, that is composed of five
predominantly Muslim provinces, namely: Basilan (except Isabela
City), Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao,Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It is the
only region that has its own government. The regional capital is
at Cotabato City, although this city is outside of its jurisdiction.
The ARMM previously included the province of Shariff
Kabunsuan until 16 July 2008, when Shariff Kabunsuan ceased to
exist as a province after the Supreme Court of the
Philippines declared the "Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act 201",
which created it, unconstitutional inSema v. Comelec.[2]
On 7 October 2012, President Benigno Aquino III said that the
government aimed to have peace in the autonomous region and that
it will become known as "Bangsamoro".[3]
The ARMM spans two geographical areas: Lanao del Sur and
Maguindanao (except Cotabato City) in south western Mindanao, and
the island provinces of Basilan (except Isabela City), Sulu and TawiTawi in the Sulu Archipelago. The region covers a total of 12,288 km.
[4]

History[edit]
For the most part of Philippines' history, the region and most
of Mindanao have been a separate territory, which enabled it to
develop its own culture and identity. The region has been the
traditional homeland of Muslim Filipinos since the 15th century, even

before the arrival of the Spanish who began to colonize most of the
Philippines in 1565. Muslim missionaries arrived in Tawi-Tawi in 1380
and started the conversion of the native population to Islam. In 1457,
the Sultanate of Suluwas founded, and not long after that the
sultanates of Maguindanao and Buayan were also established. At the
time when most of the Philippines was under Spanish rule,
these sultanates maintained their independence and regularly
challenged Spanish domination of the Philippines by conducting raids
on Spanish coastal towns in the north and repulsing repeated
Spanish incursions in their territory. It was not until the last quarter of
the 19th century that the Sultanate of Sulu formally recognized
Spanish sovereignty, but these areas remained loosely controlled by
the Spanish as their sovereignty was limited to military stations and
garrisons and pockets of civilian settlements in Zamboanga
and Cotabato,[5] until they had to abandon the region as a
consequence of their defeat in the Spanish-American War.
The Moros had a history of resistance against Spanish, American,
and Japanese rule for over 400 years. The violent armed struggle
against the Japanese, Filipinos, Spanish, and Americans is
considered by current Moro Muslim leaders as part of the four
centuries long "national liberation movement" of the Bangsamoro
(Moro Nation).[6] The 400-year-long resistance against the Japanese,
Americans, and Spanish by the Moro Muslims persisted and morphed
into their current war for independence against the Philippine state. [7]
In 1942, during the early stages of Pacific War of the Second World
War, troops of the Japanese Imperial Forces invaded and overran
Mindanao and the native Moro Muslims waged an insurgency against
the Japanese. Three years later, in 1945, combined United

States and Philippine Commonwealth Army troops liberated

Mindanao, and with the help of local guerrilla units ultimately defeated
the Japanese forces occupying the region.
ARMM's precursors[edit]
In the 1970s, escalating hostilities between government forces and
the Moro National Liberation Front promptedFerdinand Marcos to
issue a proclamation forming an Autonomous Region in the Southern
Philippines. This was however, turned down by a plebiscite. In 1979,
Batas Pambansa No. 20 created a Regional Autonomous
Government in the Western and Central Mindanao regions. [8]
Establishment of the ARMM [edit]
The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao region was first created
on August 1, 1989 through Republic Act No. 6734 (otherwise known
as the Organic Act) in pursuance with a constitutional mandate to
provide for an autonomous area in Muslim Mindanao. A plebiscite
was held in the provinces of Basilan, Cotabato, Davao del
Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del
Sur, Maguindanao, Palawan, South Cotabato, Sultan
Kudarat, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi,Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del
Sur; and in the cities of Cotabato, Davao, Dapitan, Dipolog, General
Santos,Koronadal, Iligan, Marawi, Pagadian, Puerto
Princesa and Zamboanga to determine if their residents wished to be
part of the ARMM. Of these areas, only four provinces - Lanao del
Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi - voted in favor of inclusion in
the new autonomous region. The ARMM was officially inaugurated on
November 6, 1990[9] in Cotabato City, which was designated as its
provisional capital.
Expansion of ARMM [edit]

Prelude to Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain [edit]

In 2001 a new law, Republic A 9054, was passed for the expansion of
the ARMM. In a plebiscite, Marawi City (situated within Lanao del
Sur) and the province of Basilan (excluding Isabela City) opted to be
integrated into the region.[10] RA 9054 lapsed into law, without the
signature of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo [clarification needed].
In 2006, a new province was carved out of Maguindanao: Shariff
Kabunsuan, the 6th province of ARMM, joining Maguindanao, Lanao
del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan. Massive protests, however,
have greeted the move[not verified in body] of the GRP and MILF panels in
signing a Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain as a
majority of the Local Government Units where these Barangays are
connected have already opted not to join the ARMM in two instances,
1989 and 2001.
The deal[edit]
On July 18, 2008, Hermogenes Esperon, "peace advisor" to
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in his talks withMoro
Islamic Liberation Front rebels in Malaysia, revealed the planned
extension of the region.[11] The deal, negotiated in secret talks with the
MILF and subject to approval, would give the ARMM control of an
additional 712 villages on the south west portion of Mindanao, as well
as broad political and economic powers. [11]
Challenge on MOA-AD [edit]
Main article: Sema v. COMELEC
On July 16, 2008 Sema v. COMELEC voided the creation of Shariff
Kabunsuan, declaring unconstitutional a section in RA 9054 which
granted the ARMM Regional Assembly the power to create provinces

and cities. Then, on August 4, 2008, after local officials from North
Cotabato asked the Court to block the signing of the agreement
between GRP and MILF, the Court issued a Temporary Restraining
Order against the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on
Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the Philippine government and
the MILF rebels in Malaysia. [12] Several lawmakers had filed petitions
with the Supreme Court to stop the Philippine government from
concluding the MOA-AD due to lack of transparency and for MILF's
failure to cut ties with the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist network Jemaah
Islamiyah, which aims to establish a pan-Islamic state in Southeast
Asia using MILF camps in south western Mindanao as training
grounds and staging points for attacks.[13]
On October 14, 2008, the Supreme Court of the Philippines, by a vote
of 87, declared contrary to law and the Constitution the Ancestral
Domain Aspect (MOA-AD) of the Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001
between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP)
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). [14][15] The 89pagedecision, written by Associate Justice Conchita CarpioMorales ruled: In sum, the Presidential Adviser on the Peace
Process committed grave abuse of discretion when he failed to carry
out the pertinent consultation process, as mandated by EO No. 3, RA
7160, and RA 8371. The furtive process by which the MOA-AD was
designed and crafted runs contrary to and in excess of the legal
authority, and amounts to a whimsical, capricious, oppressive,
arbitrary and despotic exercise thereof. It illustrates a gross evasion
of positive duty and a virtual refusal to perform the duty enjoined.