COTABATO
CITY, Oct. 20 (PNA) -- Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM) on Thursday commenced efforts to intensify settlement of clan wars and
family feud in the region.
The
Regional Reconciliation and Unification Commission of the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (RRUC-ARMM) is holding a three-day conference on ‘rido’
settlement which started today and would last until Friday.
"Rido"
is a Moro term which means bloody family feud involving Moro families.
It
aims to aims generate insights and recommendations from different stakeholders
that could help resolve rido-related problems in the region.
In
attendance during the opening day are representatives from local government
units, line agencies, civil society organizations, government security forces,
and revolutionary groups specifically the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
These
groups have different data on "rido" and have different approaches in
settling clan conflicts.
While
one area has unique approaches, Romeo Sema, chairman of RRUC-ARMM, stressed
there is a need for a better way to settle family conflicts.
“We
want to have a consolidated data on the number of rido cases and we aim to have
coordinative mechanisms to settle these ridos,” Sema told reporters.
He
also noted that the regional government will be able to have a complete look at
the rido situation in the ARMM and that RRUC, being an advisory body to the
regional governor, will be able to recommend policy-related solutions to this
problem.
The
book ‘Rido: Clan Feuding and Conflict Management in Mindanao’ written by
Wilfredo Magno Torres III defined rido as a conflict characterized by sporadic
outburst of retaliatory violence between families and kinship groups as well as
between communities.
According
to Abdulbasit Benito, RRUC-ARMM executive director, clan war causes problems
not only between conflicting families but in the community as well.
“Rido
causes much suffering, numerous casualties, destruction of properties, and it
cripples the economy and displaces the community,” Benito said.
Data
from RRUC-ARMM showed there were 269 cases of rido in the ARMM from 2012 until
October 2016. However, the police in ARMM said there were only 209 recorded
cases during the same period.
Benito
said the main causes of rido are election-related conflicts, land ownership
conflicts, crimes against chastity, personal grudge and theft.
Benito
added that even jesting, suspicion, and mere misunderstanding could also cause
rido.
Both
Sema and Benito believed continuous dialogues will help fast tract peaceful
settlement of clan wars in ARMM provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur,
Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
“We will
continue working with these actors to help settle rido and prevent it from
recurring,” Sema said. (PNA)
