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Is tribal war significant?

BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 25) — Is tribal war still significant these days?

The Binodngan People’s Organization (BPO), an organization of the binodngan or bodong (Peace Pact) practicing villages, claims tribal war is no longer appropriate for settling conflicts today.

BPO, in its primer, cited tribal war as inappropriate because the social relevance of tribal war is lost; it is no longer justifiable. It has become an instrument of the ruling class against the people; and tribal war inflicts a heavy cost on the people.

These reasons moved BPO and peace advocates to actively campaign against tribal war.

According to Markus Bangit, BPO secretary-general and head of Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) Elders’ Desk, those involved in the campaign are elders from the binodngan areas, especially those in the city where the tribal war from concerned villages extended against migrants from the warring tribes.

Bangit said Filipinos practice a tribal war before the Spaniards colonized the country. This practice occurred from Mindanao up to northern Luzon. However, with the long years of Spanish colonization, the tribal war practice was erased from the colonized areas. In Muslim Mindanao and the Cordillera, the practice remains as these region were least influenced by colonizers.

Mountain Province, Kalinga and Abra provinces in Cordillera where the practice of the bodong system utilizes tribal war as a means of avenging justice is the area of the BPO campaign.

The BPO primer claimed tribal war is an armed conflict between two tribes. It is formally declared in the entire tribe and everyone is mobilized to partake confronting the enemy-in defense; offensives; insuring of supplies; taking care of the wounded; and other related tasks. Even women and children are mobilized during these wars.

The leader of the attacking force is usually a member of the aggrieved or injured tribe member although anyone can join the attack, adds Bangit, a young peace pact holder from Malbong sub-tribe of Kalinga.

BPO claims, only traditional tools were used before like head axe, spears, bolos, and shields. According to some elders, the use of guns started only after World War II. Then tribal wars became more destructive and resulted in more deaths because of the use of modern firearms.

Tribal wars usually take five to ten years or even longer especially if one or both tribes feel their losses are not yet avenged. Traditionally tribal wars are called off by mediated settlements by elders of other tribes friendly to either of the warring tribes. The settlements agreed on by both result to a peace pact.

The BPO also stated that the major cause of tribal war, in history, is boundary disputes. Many tribes had to resort to tribal wars because others encroach into their territories to take up better locations, stronger water sources, and utilization of more resources.

At present however, BPO claimed, the causes of tribal wars today had expanded and mostly sparked by conflicts traceable to government programs and policies. It includes conflicts regarding resources and territorial boundaries, as in the case of Pidlisan vs. Dallic; conflicts arising from electoral or political disputes as in the case of Lubuagan vs. Tanglag. Conflicts also arise from crimes and anti-social activities, like that case of Guilayon vs. Basao. Intensification of conflicts is also due to lapses in the country’s justice system and anti-people military actions, like that of Butbut vs. Sadanga.

Aside from the traditional causes of tribal wars, many of today’s cases are due to anti-social activities like gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, robbery or theft. The youth are usually involved in these cases, Bangit said.

Bangit added that no one can tell when tribal wars will end. However, there are groups and organizations struggling to end and prevent these wars. BPO reiterates that, tribal war is no longer appropriate today as a means to seek justice but the bodong system can be strengthened to settle dispute through community dialogue and discussions. # Marie Conie A. Duerme/MMSU Intern for NORDIS

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