Intergroup Positioning in the Political Sphere

The Mindanao conflict in the Philippines is about contestations over territory on this southern island, between the predominantly Christian Government of the Philippines (GRP) on one hand, and various Moro nationalist groups on the other, who demand autonomy or independence from the Philippine government. The conflict is considered intractable, and has erupted into on-and-off armed confrontations over four centuries, ever since the Spanish colonial times (Rodil, 2003). Last July 2008, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was initialed1 by peace-panel members of both the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and one of the major Moro nationalist groups, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The peace document addressed two basic issues concerning social justice for the Moro people—the pursuit of a collective identity, and control over particular territorial spaces. More specifically, the MOA (a) recognized the birthright of all Moros and all Indigenous peoples of Mindanao to identify themselves and be accepted as Bangsamoros, (b) defined which Philippine territorial lands belonged to the ancestral domains of the Bangsamoros, and (c) established the Moro-controlled Bangsamoro Juridical Entity that would hold authority and jurisdiction over such ancestral domains. Proposing to give larger political and economic powers to Muslim Mindanao, the MOA aimed to mitigate the Mindanao conflict in Southern Philippines. But in stead of advancing peace, the MOA-signing triggered a series of street protests by Christian communities, armed attacks on Christian villages allegedly by disgruntled MILF combatants, counterattacks by government's forces on MILF hideouts, the firing of the government peace panel, and the eventual junking of the peace agreement by the Supreme Court. This study examines intergroup social contentions over the Memorandum of Agreement. An intergroup conflict is defined as a clash where antagonistic parties relate with each other not as individuals but as members of their social groups. Further, the conflict involves collective actors and acts (Louis, 2008). The Mindanao conflict is intergroup because there are at least two collective categories, the Philippine government and the Moro liberation groups. As conflict escalates, the two groups clash with each other not as individuals but as members of their respective groups. We use a discursive lens in order to capture the fluidity of the MOA public debate across various analytical units in the Philippine political diaspora. Other non-discursive social psychological theories likewise lend themselves to a clearer understanding of intergroup conflict, but they are theoretically constrained to illuminate fully the nature of dynamic political conflicts such as contentious peace agreements. For example, social identity theory explains intergroup conflict as motivationally fuelled by an ingroup's attempt to uplift the value of its group identity in relation to an outgroup (Worchel, Iuzzini, Coutant & Ivaldi, 2000). However, the theory may not be able to capture identity fluctuations, even as social identities are socially constructed and can therefore change in the course of a conflict. On the other hand, social dominance theory posits that individual and structural factors contribute to a hierarchically-arranged society which in turn aggravates intergroup conflicts between unequal groups (Sidanius, Pratto, van Laar, & Levin, 2004). The strength of social dominance theory is that it asserts the contribution of power asymmetry to intergroup conflict. However, like social identity theory, social dominance theory likewise lacks robust arguments for dealing with conflictual flux. It is possible for positions of asymmetry to change in the course of a conflict (Montiel, De Guzman, Inzon, & Batistiana, 2010). Other social psychological theories on intergroup conflict locate social discord inside the minds of individuals. For example, realistic group conflict theory focuses on group hostility as its predicted variable (Jackson, 1993). With a similar eye for mentalism, the relative deprivation theory posits that perceived group discrepancies lead to dissatisfaction among group members on the losing end of the perceived unjust situation (Brown, 1996). Because social conflict does not occur inside the minds of people, but rather between peoples and groups, one would need to look at subjective phenomena arising between individuals and groups, rather than what happens inside the minds of persons. One such phenomenon that emerges between persons and groups is language. Language arises at least two with each It is in and which relate with one a public like a and and are the of the public & the has likewise as of the public Language does not it social and can be as social are because they are and can change social because they between at least two and are considered acts because are socially constructed not by the but by who are with the & 2003). study the social that emerges between and groups, one may look at a discursive is use of and & It is that and that and are arises in the of a social where the to a social & van that to discursive for and to and & The of is in the political of a peace this the groups in the peace are the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Because it is a political the political does not its the discursive is about over as to and the is by a of As in a of this the Philippine government does not on a but rather into various positions by the the government peace panel, and the Supreme Court. the political intergroup rather than because the parties relate to each other on their group rather than their likewise into the discursive nature of intergroup and to from political of in that and a We the and that can likewise social conflict by and and For example, group to discursive of and in the of can conflict by from one study on the peace that conflict a peace that issues This study examines the discursive nature of the social conflict over the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Philippine government's peace and the Moro Islamic Liberation We the MOA debate as a contentious intergroup in the political public We not to about peace and conflict, but about the of and in the course of the social conflict over the peace We use theory as because it is a of and that can to study larger like and groups & has to study intergroup conflict (Louis, and can capture the of & 2008). and that to be on conflicts are are and what it to or Further, they that conflict may be a of and that is as to be able to and conflicts as it is to It is not that the to who peace, by it to who to and This the by which one may a peace one or about the Memorandum of Agreement. Proposing an analytical for theory, van and that contribute to the dynamic social of in a and other and a is a of and to which are in turn with particular social as and other acts to or and to that are about the dynamic of social and 2003). with each other and by each other a dynamic on theory, a four rather than a which in four are the social forces of discursive and of and the of into two identities and of and The of identity is rather in identities to and social with actors and in the The nature of such identities can change across as the four of the are and each other in the course of a We four that to the intergroup about the Memorandum of Agreement. forces of discursive social of a discursive to the an on the Other in the We from where to the social of a is about the of such a from the of the & 2003). The or of a political may or may not be with the public or political of the to in the political public political the social of discursive acts likewise among the parties to over in a power of discursive with each other, the constructed of their is in the that between & is by the of the The analytical is to of discursive on the between and a discursive of the of the is for in acts of as with acts of as it is to be in the between the all discursive acts are The of a is not a of but a of and that in the situation & 2003). Further, discursive between and power groups may a in the use of and between and power groups, where power groups to collective power groups in collective contentious intergroup (Montiel, Guzman, Inzon, & Batistiana, 2010). Because is in an understanding of social a that and other acts in relation to they in the in at least two acts in on in relation to each other & 2008). An is constructed by what it and what Because is the social of the can across on the and the discursive Because theory across it can capture the and of public such as social contentions over a peace because across or intergroup with the Other contribute to are from the and acts to the Other & & An is in relation to a where the the for the & 2003). The on the of the are and that and give to a of that are as an across discursive The of a can the of a and of discursive a contentious intergroup there may be on at the intergroup about a social can on where one and that in a than the other a discursive can and among the groups. and to this phenomena as which they in their study on about about Philippine among and Because in a the nature of the likewise on the nature of the discursive is to an This to the of the in the a there are at least two identities with each of the two actors in An identity, is not with an because an identity is constructed and across 2008). An identity is about the nature of the the and the of this Other identities may in the course of the the to other groups, persons and even that on the of an can be or identity to an individual a collective identity is about a as a group & group can its collective identity, and it can collective identities on the Other group in the conflict by and by such with the use of and and their are like for example, or one can and Other by one For example, the government a collective identity are the the an to the political the identities are not collective but collective identity arises in where persons as members of social groups that are in power & The power between social identities is with a and an & However, in the course of a social the asymmetry may (Montiel, Guzman, 2010). collective identities in intergroup contestations that are about a control of society and therefore & are not but rather change as the conflict For example, a can a collective identity the of a peace but may to a collective identity as the agreement is by in the and into as are by in the 2008). likewise to and in to the understanding of such As and identities are about the likewise to defined about of and with such and identities one analytical of is to the of and that the of and likewise on the nature of and in an intergroup conflict groups to groups the of this is to intergroup of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation the nature of in a peace use the We look for discursive acts of and that the of such discursive collective identities that and in the course of the and which and are in each The discursive across and the intergroup on a the groups in the political The analytical is the which the the government peace panel, and the Supreme Court. a political analytical are the in Mindanao, and the Moro Islamic Liberation On the other hand, the would across As the intergroup political among groups across four positions and in the MOA across in the MOA across and theory as public about the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) by the government and groups. We both and acts across to in as the contentious political across with the four of the for that to the discursive identities that the social actors or the and that by the political actors in the MOA and the social forces of discursive of of about the MOA that in Philippine of and two in a Mindanao where the MOA was belonged to the a the was with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). We from July to The was the MOA public the was the public arguments on the MOA to social actors and We the social actors and the series of social that the the government the the of the the Supreme the Government and the political groups as social the government the of Christian in Mindanao that the at the group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as social We four social in the to to the the MOA the public This was the there was to the and of the We to as the to to the the of the MOA was by a order from the Supreme the of the of in this as the a that the of the the that the MOA to be but to the peace We to as by Supreme The to the the that it would the This the Philippine of public to the MOA as as the armed attacks by the MILF Christian in We to as by to to the the Supreme the MOA as and this the social actors to debate on to on with the peace the the We to as by Supreme for from of and collective of the social actors in the MOA We two for For considered of social actors as However, for with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the considered the as We by and the to identify the discursive acts and that the that the social actors to the MOA across We to of the by various social As the identities that and by the social actors in the conflict. at the and that by actors the course of the of the to of what the social of discursive the of the four in and the other of the for each the of this the and in by the various social actors at in the political MOA is a to peace and in the major of the MOA the peace agreement as a to peace and in This was in the by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace their agreement on the of the they the MOA as a to the Bangsamoro and the conflict in in of the to the and political to the of the MOA to peace and in of Mindanao as is that it has of the in The is the Mindanao conflict. peace has for a But on the of ancestral there are political among the of with the and to on the and political that lead to a and peace of this the the Government and the MILF identities as peace who for the of peace and in themselves as they the to the peace and into peace on of the as peace they on the to and the the of the MOA as a to peace and in the the of the peace agreement as that in the of a and they with the to their to the MOA and for the and of the peace the public was with the to the This the social of the MOA as as public for the peace One MILF on the public and are the of Mindanao to their and not to The but to the Bangsamoro the agreement in on not the of Mindanao but the the of the for this for and for and MOA is a to the because it the the Philippine and the territorial of the The the that from a to a and Mindanao, the peace agreement a to the the the of the Philippine and the territorial of the The of the MOA as the to and is in the by a that there was not in this and one the of the This is of the by government in the It is a of the and who be to government of Christian in Mindanao the MOA because the of the of the MOA has the of its to and to in the of the of the Further, a of the of the which the Memorandum by The of the MOA as a to the was in of the that the peace agreement was by the government in order to in One political group the MOA as as an of peace but rather as a for a the MOA as a to the for change that in power and the nationalist and of the who the MOA that the peace agreement would lead to the of the the of the Bangsamoro Juridical as a of of Mindanao to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). One Philippine this of the it is that this is a The power and over to the Bangsamoro Juridical the that This that to to peace, of the value of the to be in This that be This is not not to be from by government of Christian in Mindanao to the An from the government this collective the MOA and the as a to in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity The Supreme this as it the peace as and The the by which the MOA was to and in of the authority and to a and to the the MOA be as this the of the MOA of members of the the Supreme political groups and of Christian communities, identities as and of the themselves as they on the to the of the as as the to the MOA in of the of the people, the of the and the of the who the MOA as and of the the social actors with the to the MOA and to look for peace that would the the and the The public was likewise with the to the As this the MOA as a to the the social of the MOA and public for the peace the of the for this as as MOA is a the MILF is a of the Philippine of and political The in the MOA conflict was by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). to the MOA was a and that the Philippine Government on its to and the peace One MILF the (MOA) a We hold on to it and it It has which the government has accepted this the MILF themselves as of the Philippine of and political political the and from it to the of who their on the of and The MILF the Philippine Government as and of the the government all The MILF that the MOA the Bangsamoro themselves as MILF the armed attacks of of its on Christian as an of and the Philippine the attacks as by who that the to about peace in Mindanao the MILF that its armed attacks on Christian aimed themselves attacks and as the MILF that they not the but what the and in MILF in to the armed the MOA was as and by the Supreme the MILF the and in Mindanao for their in the of the One MILF government of Christian as to the and in Mindanao and as to to are the who the to because of their government as who in of their not for the of the the and as that the of the people, of one but themselves and their and in the MILF the of Christian in Mindanao as who by their this the MILF the to demand the and of the MOA as as the to their over the Philippine to its to the the MILF the Government as the to its end of the by and the government of Christian in Mindanao with the to their and the this the public was with the to the MILF in the for peace and by the the on the of and political to the MOA the social of the of the Philippine Government the that the MOA was a the social of public for the the of the for this as as MOA has to the of in Christian because of the attacks of the they be as the major the of Christian who the MOA the peace agreement for the of in their the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for its and the attacks as of the of to the peace of the the MILF for to and on to the from the As one of government is to that the MILF is as like the to the MILF as peace but is the of peace the be and at all the of the Moro Islamic Liberation armed attacks on Christian in Mindanao, the on this as from the the MILF as of and the to the who the armed attacks on as the of the acts of its to from the the in the and of the MOA not the armed attacks by the and their are acts that they from the the MILF attacks as to the government into this The that it would the the peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation and the Government this the Christian communities, as by their an and identity and the to be from the attacks of the The MILF was by from the and from the as a an who in and acts to its As a it was with the to its attacks on and to the of The as by from the and members of the identities as of the social actors themselves as the to the groups such as the MILF in order to peace and order in the public was with the to the the and the Christian in their for the MILF to its on This the social of public for the as by the and the and Christian in Mindanao in their to the This the social of the of the the of this as as the of the MOA political debate across social actors and The to the of the MOA public the four social that in the MOA conflict. The the social actors across the where the conflict over the peace agreement The which to the government the social the the Government the the Supreme and political groups. the government of Christian in Mindanao the government the Moro Islamic Liberation Front the group in the across and the MOA of the four major as and by the social actors in the MOA across social The for the about the MOA as a to peace and in Mindanao the the that the MOA as a to the The which the MILF as of the Philippine of to the peace is by the of the of the major which the MILF as who in Christian in the of the the two in the MOA political debate The of the that are to an the that are not to a that the and major for and and as the the and major as and as to the The two in the in particular social actors collective that or For the by government of Christian in Mindanao the and the to the On the other hand, the armed attacks of the MILF on its the and and the over the of the We in because are collective acts that in the political at both and in the public the MOA across social actors and in to and that the across social For one in the Government a and the for and across the four social of the Supreme and the political groups an and the as across all social We turn to look at the in the public the in can be by at in the and in can be in the MOA The social actors but the or For in two of the and the of Christian in Mindanao the four but their their from the as in the and to the as in the and a similar the MILF across all four but its the Supreme of a order and the of the of the the MILF from the for and the and to the as in the and social actors from one to the MILF a the members of the and the of Christian an can be considered as in because the not by an in the of or The in the MOA the because this social a discursive not its but its from to public and MILF armed attacks on Christian in Mindanao, the from the for and the and to the as the and as the the that it in relation to the it its from a to an that among the various social actors that in the MOA political conflict, the is the social that both and in this political We turn to a of the and of in relation to conflict and We the social of a peace agreement an intergroup political conflict. theory, at and by the political actors who in the political about the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). We that a peace document such as the MOA can on social across groups. the peace agreement on at least two social The MOA was as a peace and in it was as a to the that the MOA peace document was about social justice It the political identity of Moros in the recognized that Moros of as their ancestral and a Moro-controlled Bangsamoro Juridical who the MOA the document as an of peace and who to the peace agreement that it was a social the of peace on a social justice it may on a social for who positions of power in an social that social not between the in a conflict, but the of the major social For example, in the discursive between the Philippine government and the Moro liberation there in the of the MOA among the major More specifically, the government's and the the government's peace the MOA the and the its from a to an We that the of a peace agreement can change across even among the groups. in the of subjective group of a peace As and as the conflict groups their about For example, both the government's and the government of Christian in Mindanao their that the MOA was a to social peace, and the MILF with However, it was the that the political as the not its but its from a to an This the social of the peace the from a peace agreement to a of an outgroup (MILF). the of the the about the MOA document as an of peace and or a to the However, as the conflict the from the Memorandum of Agreement. The into about collective political identity & the collective identity of the group the the government the of the the two about as and as The by the MILF is because it involves not a but a change in the of in the the MILF its about that the MOA can be an for peace and the MILF and that their group is by the government's of the peace It is at this of the discursive that the MILF to use collective rather than to in the public Christian in in that the armed attacks are by of collective This that groups to use collective rather than contentious political (Montiel, 2010). look at the political may the where the MILF attacks Christian this may But a of the that in the the MILF was on the of a peace agreement that for social for their It was this for peace and social was that the MILF in the We a discursive on the peace that a peace which justice issues lens may to in political where for social justice for the group are and are by of this the use of theory in understanding the intergroup of a peace We that the of a peace agreement (a) across social and even one collective such as the (b) the social across as the public (c) and may to about collective identities of the group conflict We the to the by a in

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