Filipino Christian vigilantes get set for battle

ICC Note:

In an effort to defend their families and land against increasing violence from Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines, Christians vigilantes are rising up – something that hasn’t been a force since the 1970s. While we do not necessarily condone this kind of action, it is highly indicative of how desperate the situation is becoming for Christians in the Philippines.

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12/12/08 Philippines (CSMonitor) They call themselves ilaga or “rats” in a local Philippines dialect. They’re vigilantes: Christian farmers who have taken up arms to protect their land and families against Muslim rebels in this troubled corner of the southern Philippines.

Most have no military training, says their puckish leader Felimon Cayang, who styles himself “Commander Max.” He shows off his souped-up M-16, tattoos, and religious “amulets” – patches tied to his necklace and underwear bearing images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary and worn for protection in battle.

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Here on the island of Mindanao, such Roman Catholic vigilantes haven’t been a force since the 1970s, when all-out communal war raged. Their return now, some 30 years later, is a sign of a society that’s again become dangerously polarized along religious lines.

It’s one sad consequence of the breakdown of peace talks between the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

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“The opportunity for a democratic and peaceful solution to the conflict is becoming narrower and narrower,” says Abhoud Lingga, director of the Institute for Bangsamoro Studies in Mindanao. “For us peace advocates, this is alarming.”

The town of Aleosan lies on the faultline of communal divisions in Mindanao. The Moros – as Muslims here call themselves – regard this and surrounding areas as part of their ancestral homeland. But much of Aleosan’s land has now been owned and farmed for decades by Christians from the central Philippines, who settled here after World War II with government encouragement.

Sitting in his sunlit office here, Aleosan mayor Loreto Cabaya says he helped organize a civilian militia – including some ilaga – to prevent Muslim rebels from grabbing land ahead of a peace deal.

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“I think the conflict will be worse if demands of the MILF are met, because their demand is [for] a separate state,” says Cabaya. “It’s being disguised as autonomy, but in essence it’s a separate state.”

Opposition from Christian leaders like Cabaya helped scuttle the deal. Getting them on board in any future peace process will be critical.

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The ilaga are also keeping their powder dry. They’re a ragtag bunch, some in their 60s and even 70s – veterans of the vicious 1970s vigilante wars here. They keep a wary watch over their farmlands, fearing another round of fighting – especially now that international monitors have left.

“Both sides are always preparing,” says Eduardo Cabaya, who doubles as a municipal councilor. “As long as Umbra Kato is out there, we’ll be here.”

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