Ilaga
Ilonggo Land Grabbers Association (Ilaga) | |
---|---|
Traditional Catholicism Islamophobia | |
Opponents | Moro National Liberation Front (until 1979) Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters
|
Battles and wars | Moro conflict |
The Ilagâ (Ilonggo Land Grabbers Association, acronym spelled out of ilaga,
The group complemented the
The predominantly Hiligaynon-speaking migrants (from Panay Islands) in the province of Cotabato organized a private army called the Ilaga (Visayan for rat). To counter the terror of Ilaga attacks on Muslim civilians, members of the Moro elite organized their own heavily armed groups — the Blackshirts in Cotabato, and the Barracudas in Lanao — who responded in kind.[7]
From 1970 to 1971 Ilaga launched a series of 21 massacres that left 518 people dead, 184 injured, and 243 houses burned down.[8] The group committed one of its bloodiest acts with the Manili massacre on June 19, 1971, when the group killed 70[2]–79[9] Moro civilians (women, children and elders) inside a mosque.[10]
Background
The
The Ilaga originated as an anti-
History
From March 1970 to January 1972, the Ilaga committed 22 massacres resulting in the deaths of hundreds of
Manili massacre
Violence attributed to the Ilaga reached its climax on June 19, 1971 with the Manili massacre of 70
1971 Battle of Lanao del Norte
Following the massacre at Manili, many Maranao Muslims civilians fled to take shelter in the Lanao del Norte. Some Muslims formed small militant groups to counter the Ilaga. One such group was called the "Barracudas" and in September 1971, the Barracudas clashed with the Ilagas resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people on both sides of the conflict. The Ilagas also clashed with the Philippine Constabulary. The skirmishes continued until October, and over 60 Muslim houses were torched by the Ilaga.[3][15]
Murder of Tullio Favali
Tullio Favali was a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), an all-male international group of priests who are dedicated to evangelization in underdeveloped and non-Christian nations. Favali was assigned to do missions work in the Philippines, particularly in provinces in Mindanao. He arrived in the Philippines in 1983, and was ordained as the parish priest of La Esperanza in Tulunan, North Cotabato.
On April 11, 1985, Favali was called by townspeople for help after the Manero brothers shot the town's tailor.[16] When the Manero brothers saw him arrive and enter a house, Norberto Jr. dragged his motorcycle and set it on fire. When Favali hurried out after seeing the fire, Edilberto threatened the priest before shooting him pointblank in the head, he then trampled on the fallen priest's body and fired again. This caused the priest's skull to crack open, and Norberto Jr. picked the brains and displayed them to the horrified witnesses. The brothers, along with a few other gang members, stood by laughing and heckling.[17]
The Manero brothers and five others were found guilty of murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment. The court also found Norberto Jr. guilty of arson.[17]
Noeberto Manero, Jr., however, would later be pardoned.[18]
Post-2008 resurgence
Increased tensions in the Philippines since 2008 have since seen the re-emergence of the armed
In November 2008, the Ilaga killed five unarmed Muslim civilians in an ambush in Lanao del Norte.[4]
In 2012, two members of the group committed robbery and also murdered two civilians. They were then arrested.[23]
In 2016, a splinter group of the Ilaga emerged, the Red God's Defenders.
See also
- Moro insurgency in the Philippines
- Bangsamoro
References
- ^ a b "UC Press E-Books Collection, 1982-2004". Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ a b c Mariveles, Julius D. "Mindanao: A memory of massacres". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ a b Ediger, Max (September 2001). The Struggle in Mindanao (PDF). Matina Davao City, Philippines: Documentation for Action Groups in Asia. p. 14.
- ^ a b "Christian militia kills five Muslims in Philippines". Dawn. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- Manila Times.
- ^ "Anti-Moro group resurfaces in NCotabato". philstar.com. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ https://www.c-r.org/accord/philippines%E2%80%93mindanao/mindanao-land-promise-1999.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Mindanao: A memory of massacres". The PCIJ Blog. 2015-02-13. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
- ^ a b Arguillas, Carolyn O. (28 January 2010). "De Lima: "Oooops, sorry, it's Ampatuan Massacre not Maguindanao Massacre". MindaNews. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- )
- ^ a b The Bangsamoro Struggle for Self-Determintation: A Case Study
- ^ a b Mawallil, Amir (2016-06-27). "Manili Massacre: Don't Look Back in Anger". Rappler.
- ]
- ^ ISBN 8876528792.
- ^ Robert, B. McAmis, "Muslim Filipinos 1970-1972," Solidarity 8, No. 2, February 1973, p. 7.
- ^ "FAVALI, Tullio". Bantayog ng mga Bayani. 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
- ^ a b "Backgrounder on Norberto Manero, Jr". GMA News Online. 2008-01-25. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
- ^ Mogato, Manny (January 28, 2008). "Philippines frees notorious priest killer". Reuters. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ "New Ilaga revives fears of Mindanao in '70s". Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2015. http://cache1.asset-cache.net/gc/153307109-commander-max-stands-with-his-group-ilaga-a-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QTpIrPwH16Bce0Gp83jTSVeIm4OGW2CKESx0ucvtWWoG Archived 2016-09-24 at the Wayback Machine http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/original700/2008-8-27-7-35-43-b3b9c446bc224beb90e3c8e3c21ecdc0-b3b9c446bc224beb90e3c8e3c21ecdc0-2.jpg[permanent dead link]
- ^ “2 New Vigilante Groups Surface in Mindanao” by Cheryll D. Fiel, Bulatlat Alipato Publications, retrieved September 14, 2008
- Washington Post, retrieved September 14, 2008
- ^ “Mindanao civilians under threat from MILF units and militias” Amnesty International August 22, 2008, retrieved September 14, 2008
- ^ "Inopacan cops nab 2 Ilaga Gang". philstar.com. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
External links
- “Ilaga revival to make things worse – Piñol” Philippine Daily Inquirer, retrieved September 14, 2008