ARMM

(Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao)

ARMM History

The history of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) can only be
understood in the context of how the Bangsamoro people continuously struggle for selfrule and self-determination and how the national politics address the Moro problem.
The creation of which was enshrined in the 1987 Constitution and established by
Republic Act 9054, the ARMM is now composed of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao Del
Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.
The ARMM today underwent a series of structural and systemic modifications, starting
from the regional regroupings in 1975 up to the expansion of the regional government in
2002.
The Moro Problem
Tracing back, the Moro problem was first formally mentioned during the speech of
Datu Alaoya Alonto, the Sultan sa Ramain convention Delegate who represented Lanao
during the 1934 Constitutional Convention.
It should be noted however that as early as 1902, the letters of the Sulu Datus and
Sultans addressed to the U.S. Government show that the Bangsamoro struggle on selfdetermination has historical, legal, and political claims.
The series of human rights violations against the Muslim Filipinos during the Marcos
Regime aggravated the Moro problem which sparked the creation of Muslim
Independence Movement (MIM) in 1968 and the rebellion led by the Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF) under Nur Misuari in 1973.
The ORC and Internal Autonomy in the Two Autonomous Regions
The Office of the Regional Commission of Region XII was established on July 7, 1975
by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 742 and Letter of Instruction 290, along with
Regions IX, X and XI. Region IX was composed of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and
Zamboanga Del Sur, and the cities of Pagadian and Zamboanga, with Jolo as the
Regional Center; while Region XII included the provinces of Lanao Del Norte, Lanao
Del Sur, Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, and the cities of Cotabato,
Iligan and Marawi, with Cotabato as the Regional Center. On August 21 of the same
year, President Ferdinand Marcos reorganized Region IX into Sub-Region IX-A and
Sub-Region IX-B, with Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga Del Norte,
Zamboanga Del Sur and the cities of Dipolog, Dapitan, Pagadian and Zamboanga
respectively.
Following the signing of the Tripoli Agreement on December 23, 1976 which called for
the establishment of autonomy covering 13 provinces and 9 cities in Mindanao,
Presidential Decree No. 1628 declared the areas covered in the Tripoli Agreement as
areas of autonomy. An Interim Government was organized consisting of a Chair and
Co-Chair with the Provincial Governors and City Mayors of the 13 provinces and 9 cities

as members. Sultan Mohd Ali Dimaporo and Simeon Datumanong became the Chair
and Co-Chair of the Interim Government respectively. The referendum/plebiscite on
April 17, 1977 showed that only the provinces under Region IX and XII had voted for
autonomy. Regions IX was composed of the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,
and Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur and the cities of Dipolog, Dapitan,
Pagadian and Zamboanga; while Region XII was composed of the provinces of Lanao
Del Norte, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, and the
cities of Cotabato, Iligan and Marawi.
Later in 1978, by Presidential Decree No. 1555, President Marcos changed the
Regional Center of Region IX to Zamboanga City. The Regional Commissioners of
Regions IX and XII were Romulo Espaldon and Simeon Datumanong, respectively.
Batas Pambansa Bilang Dalawampu (20), enacted by the Interim Batasang Pambansa
on March 23, 1979, established the Legislative Assembly and the Executive Council of
each of the two Autonomous Regions, as well as the manner of elections. Presidential
Decree (PD) No. 1618, issued on July 25, 1979, defined the functions, powers and
responsibilities of the Lupong Tagapagpaganap ng Pook (LTP) and Batasang Pampook
(BP) as the executive and legislative arms of each of the Autonomous Governments.
Section 4 of PD No. 1618 enumerated the scope of internal autonomy of the two
Autonomous Regions.
On September 20, 1979, by virtue of PD No. 1639, President Marcos abolished the
ORC of each of the regions. The executive powers were transferred to the Lupong
Tagapagpaganap ng Pook.
The LTP
Ulbert Ulama Tugung was appointed as Chair of LTP Region IX on December 9, 1979
while Simeon Datumanong as Chair of LTP Region XII. Nur Hussein Ututalum and
Abul-Khayr Alonto became the first speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Regions IX
and XII, respectively. In 1984, Amelil U. Malaguiok replaced Chairman Datumanong as
the LTP of Region XII. The 1986 EDSA revolution came and toppled down Marcos from
power. The then President Cory C. Aquino appointed Zacaria A. Candao LTP Chairman
which was later succeeded by Abdulrahman Alam.
The Muslim members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission sponsored the grant of
Muslim autonomy. The creation of two autonomous regions same can be found in the
1987 Constitution. The Regional Consultative Commission (RCC) drafted a bill which
was later passed into law as Republic Act No. 6734 known as the Organic Act of the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Only the provinces of Lanao Del Sur (except

for Marawi City), Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted to join the ARMM in a
plebiscite that was conducted on November 1989.
The creation of the ARMM abolished the LTP, of which during that time, Dr. Ali Bashir
Lucman held the position as the last LTP Chair.

The Leadership and Elections of the Autonomous Region

The Republic Act No. 6734, also known as Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao was signed into law on August 1, 1989 by President Cory C. Aquino
and was ratified in a plebiscite in November 1989. It was composed of the four (4)
provinces of Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
The ARMM had its first election, on February 17, 1990, by virtue of the Transitory
Provision in RA 6734 that the election will not be earlier than 60 days or later than 90
days after the law has been ratified. Zacaria Candao assumed the position as the first
Regional Governor of the ARMM with Benjamin Loong as the Regional Vice-Governor.
Governor Candao stayed in the position for three (3) years and initiated the devolution
of several national agencies and directed his administration towards its two-pronged
goals: peace and development.
The second regional election was held in the four provinces on March 25, 1993. Section
1 of RA 7647 states that the date of ARMM election will be on the second Monday after
the Muslim Month of Ramadhan except on the second regular elections. Former
Ambassador Lininding P. Pangandaman and Nabil Tan were elected as the second
Regional Governor and Vice-Governor of the ARMM, respectively.
The third ARMM election was supposed to happen on March 4, 1996, but RA 8176,
which was passed in less than 3 months before the scheduled election, moved the
election to September 9, 1996. MNLF Chairman, Prof. Nu rMisuari and his running
mate, Guimid Matalam won unopposed. Governor Misuaris tenure of office served as a
transitory towards the Phase 2 of the Final Peace Agreement wherein RA 6734 would
be amended or repealed through congressional actions.
The 1999 election was supposedly on March 8, 1999 (based on RA 8176) but the law
was approved on March 4, 1999, four days before the scheduled election. RA 8746
moved the date of election to Sept 13, 1999.
RA 8753 moved the date of polls five days before the election. The supposedly
September 13, 1999 election was moved to September 11, 2000 by virtue of RA 8753
which was passed on September 8, 1999.

Then ten days before the supposedly September 11, 2000 election, the date of fourth
ARMM election was moved again to May 14, 2001 (this time to coincide with the
general election) under RA 8953. It was a certified urgent bill. It was filed on June 2,
2000; approved by the House on June 5, 2000; sent to the Senate on June 6, 2000;
received by the Senate on June 14, 2000 before the Congress sine die adjournment.
Despite the insufficient time-frame according to opposition, both chambers agreed to
form a Constitutional Commission (ConCom) on August 21. The ConCom released the
report on August 22. On August 31, the bill was transmitted to the President who
approved it on September 1, ten days before the date of election.
RA 9012 which was approved on February 14, 2001 changed again the date of election,
supposedly May 14, 2001 to September 10, 2001.
The fourth election was finally conducted on November 26, 2001. MNLF Vice-Chairman
Dr. Parouk S. Hussin and Dr. Mahid M. Mutilan were elected as Regional Governor and
Vice-Governor, respectively. This was shortly after the RA 9054 was passed into law,
with the intention that it shall incorporate the provisions of the 1996 Final Peace
Agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF),
amended the RA 6734 and including the City of Marawi and Province of Basilan to join
the Expanded Autonomous Region.
Note that more than a month since the passage of RA 9012, RA 9054 aka the Organic
Act of ARMM lapsed into a law without the Presidents signature. This was the time of
the so-called EDSA Dos where there was too much political instability in the country.
ARTICLE
XVIII
Transitory
Provisions
of
RA
9054
provides
that:
SEC. 7 First Regular Elections. The first regular elections of the Regional Governor,
Regional Vice Governor and members of the regional legislative assembly under this
Organic Act shall be held on the second Monday of September 2001.
It was specific, only for the first regular election. It did not state that the next elections
will be three years thereafter. The supposedly September 10, 2001 election was moved
to November 25, 2001 by virtue of RA 9140. November 25, 2001 was the fourth ARMM
election and the first ARMM election under the NEW Organic Act RA 9054.
Then came RA 9333 which changed the date of ARMM election to the second Monday
of August. The August 8, 2005 and August 11, 2008 elections, the fifth and sixth ARMM
elections respectively (or the second and third ARMM election based on the new
Organic Act), were based on RA 9333.

The fifth ARMM election took place on August 8, 2005. Former RLA members Datu
Zaldy Uy Ampatuan and Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong assumed the title as the fifth
Regional Governor and Vice-Governor, respectively.
Then Regional Vice-Governor Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong assumed into office as Acting
Regional Governor on December 10, 2009 on account of the physical inability of then
Regional Governor Zaldy Ampatuan to perform his functions.
In 2011, after passing the Election Synchronization Law, President Benigno S. Aquino III
appointed former AMIN Partylist Representative Mujiv S. Hataman and Bainon Karon as
OIC Regional Governor and OIC Regional Vice Governor, respectively. Thereafter, on
May 13, 2013 election, the 7th ARMM election was synchronized with the national
elections by virtue of RA 10153 which was passed into law on June 30, 2011.Mujiv S.
Hataman won the seat as the sixth Regional Governor of ARMM, together with his
running mate Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman as the Regional Vice-Governor.

A Lesson for the Sultan

Long ago in Agamaniyog, the best-known, wealthy couple were Solotan sa Agamaniyog
and his wife, Bai sa Agamaniyog. They were so wealthy that they owned almost half of
the land in Agamaniyog. They had large herds of cows, carabaos, and horses. One
morning, when the couple went down to the lakeshore to pray, they happened to pass
by the small hut of a poor couple, Lokes a Mama and Lokes a Babay, who were
quarreling and shouting at each other.
The quarreling couple blamed each other for their misfortune in life. Lokes a Babay
blamed Lokes a Mama for being lazy and not knowing how to raise a family and to
make a good living. On the other hand, Lokes a Mama put the blame on his wife who,
he said, did not know how to be thrifty.
Overhearing the quarrel, the Sultan and Bai of Agamaniyog stepped in and admonished
Lokes a Mama and Lokes a Babay. When they got home, the Sultan and Bai of
Agamaniyog talked about the quarrel between the poor couple until they themselves
began to argue. Solotan sa Agamaniyog blamed Lokes a Mama for being incapable of
making life prosperous for his family. Bai sa Agamaniyog put the blame on Lokes a
Babay. She said, If Lokes a Mama were well managed by a good wife, he could be a
good husband who could make a good living.
The Sultan and Bai could not keep from arguing, each one insisting at being right, until
their argument resulted in a serious quarrel. Each swore that he/she could reform the
poor couple by managing one of them. In the heat of their argument, the Sultan and the
Bai of Agamaniyog agreed to part ways.
The Sultan brought Lokes a Babay to live with him and Bai sa Agamaniyog in turn went
to live with Lokes a Mama. Before she left the torogan (royal house), she said,
Someday Solotan sa Agamaniyog will pick up the leftovers of Lokes a Mama. The
sultan smiled and swore that, as long as he had the strength and the means, such an
event would not happen.
The Sultan offered his new companion everything she wanted. Lokes a Babay
demanded to have livers of a cow and carabao to eat every day at every meal, and
these were given her.
One day the Sultan of Balantankairan came to visit. Solotan sa Agamaniyog was very
embarrassed at the dry welcome that Lokes a Babay showed his royal visitor. She
served neither his visitor nor him. It was at this time that he became convinced that
Lokes a Babay was lazy and capricious. He also realized that his wealth had gradually
vanished.
Meanwhile, Bai sa Agamaniyog could not even climb up the small hut of Lokes a Mama
because it had no ladder. When she told him to make one, Lokes a Mama answered
that he had no tools. She said, Youre really silly. Why dont you have any? She gave
him her knife and told him to use twigs if that were what it would take to make a ladder.

Once inside the hut, Bai sa Agamaniyog told Lokes a Mama not to come near her,
because in reality she was not yet divorced from her husband but had only a temporary
arrangement with him. She asked him for food, but Lokes a Mama could not offer any.
She told him to gather ferns from the forest for dinner.
Bai sa Agamaniyog would often send Lokes a Mama to the forest to gather plenty of
firewood. Sitting by the window one day, she saw a huge tree that stood out from the
others. She asked Lokes a Mama about it and learned that it was kaya-o sandana
(sandalwood), a very useful tree. She told him to cut down the tree, chop it to pieces,
separate the branches from the trunk, and store all the pieces under their hut.
The Sultan of Balantankairan was looking for sandalwood. Lokes sa Mama told him
about the sandana stored in his hut. He said that in Agamaniyog no one would find such
a tree except the one he had. The Sultan, very much interested, said he was willing to
pay any price provided there was enough sandalwood to fill his boat. He said he was
willing to leave behind all that he had in the boat, including his seven maids and seven
servants. Lokes a Mama immediately led the Sultan to his stored sandalwood and the
Sultan took all aboard his boat, paid Lokes a Mama generously and left.
Bai sa Agamaniyog and Lokes a Mama became rich. A beautiful torogan was soon
erected, and Bai sa Agamaniyog ordered two kanter (beds). She bought a sultans
tobao (headdress) for Lokes a Mama and changed his name to Maradiya Dinda. She
was always surrounded by her seven maids, and Lokes a Mama, now Maradiya Dinda,
was always escorted by his seven male servants.
One morning Solotan sa Agamaniyog found a tobao and was told that it was Maradiya
Dindas. Taking it with him, he went up the torogan of Maradiya and saw him lying in bed
like a sultan, while on the side was his former wife, whose demeanor teasingly
reminded him of the good fortune they had before they were separated. Upon seeing
him she said, My dear Solotan, do you remember when I said that someday you will
pick up leftovers from Lokes sa Mama?
Blinded with tears, the Sultan hardly found his way out and went home. He then
became sickly and nearly died from all his heartaches.

THE STORY OF THE CREATION

Bilaan (Mindanao)
In the very beginning there lived a being so large that he cannot be compared with any
known thing. His name was Melu, and when he sat on the clouds, which were his home,
he occupied all the space above. His teeth were pure gold, and because he was very
cleanly and continually rubbed himself with his hands, his skin became pure white. The
dead skin which he rubbed off his body was placed on one side in a pile, and by and by
this pile became so large that he was annoyed and set himself to consider what he
could do with it.
Finally Melu decided to make the earth; so he worked very hard in putting the dead skin
into shape, and when it was finished he was so pleased with it that he determined to
make two beings like himself, though smaller, to live on it.
Taking the remnants of the material left after making the earth he fashioned two men but
just as they were all finished except their noses, Tau Tana from below the earth
appeared and wanted to help him.
Melu did not wish any assistance, and a great argument ensued. Tau Tana finally won
his point and made the noses which he placed on the people upside down. When all
was finished, Melu and Tau Tana whipped the forms until they moved. Then Melu went
to his home above the clouds, and Tau Tana returned to his place below the earth.
All went well until one day a great rain came, and the people on the earth nearly
drowned from the water which ran off their heads into their noses. Melu, from his place
on the clouds, saw their danger, and he came quickly to earth and saved their lives by
turning their noses the other side up.
The people were very grateful to him, and promised to do anything he should ask of
them. Before he left for the sky, they told him that they were very unhappy living on the
great earth all alone, so he told them to save all the hair from their heads and the dry
skin from their bodies and the next time he came he would make them some
companions. And in this way there came to be a great many people on the earth.

Source: www.wikipedia.com
www.sacred-texts.com
www.armm.gov.ph.com