ARMM takes steps to settle Muslim clan wars

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 20): ARMM takes steps to settle Muslim clan wars

Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Thursday commenced efforts to intensify settlement of clan wars and family feud in the region.

The Regional Reconciliation and Unification Commission of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RRUC-ARMM) is holding a three-day conference on ‘rido’ settlement which started today and would last until Friday.

"Rido" is a Moro term which means bloody family feud involving Moro families.

It aims to aims generate insights and recommendations from different stakeholders that could help resolve rido-related problems in the region.

In attendance during the opening day are representatives from local government units, line agencies, civil society organizations, government security forces, and revolutionary groups specifically the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

These groups have different data on "rido" and have different approaches in settling clan conflicts.

While one area has unique approaches, Romeo Sema, chairman of RRUC-ARMM, stressed there is a need for a better way to settle family conflicts.

“We want to have a consolidated data on the number of rido cases and we aim to have coordinative mechanisms to settle these ridos,” Sema told reporters.

He also noted that the regional government will be able to have a complete look at the rido situation in the ARMM and that RRUC, being an advisory body to the regional governor, will be able to recommend policy-related solutions to this problem.

The book ‘Rido: Clan Feuding and Conflict Management in Mindanao’ written by Wilfredo Magno Torres III defined rido as a conflict characterized by sporadic outburst of retaliatory violence between families and kinship groups as well as between communities.

According to Abdulbasit Benito, RRUC-ARMM executive director, clan war causes problems not only between conflicting families but in the community as well.

“Rido causes much suffering, numerous casualties, destruction of properties, and it cripples the economy and displaces the community,” Benito said.

Data from RRUC-ARMM showed there were 269 cases of rido in the ARMM from 2012 until October 2016. However, the police in ARMM said there were only 209 recorded cases during the same period.

Benito said the main causes of rido are election-related conflicts, land ownership conflicts, crimes against chastity, personal grudge and theft.

Benito added that even jesting, suspicion, and mere misunderstanding could also cause rido.

Both Sema and Benito believed continuous dialogues will help fast tract peaceful settlement of clan wars in ARMM provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

“We will continue working with these actors to help settle rido and prevent it from recurring,” Sema said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=933051