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INFORMED CONSENT: I am an adult (18 years old or older). I am aware that my participation is
voluntary and I am free to participate or to withdraw at any time in the research project titled
Nationalism, Diversity, and Security. If I have questions about this study, I will contact Rey Ty
through his email at reyty1@gmail.com. As my community service and public service are public
information, I decide to have all information gathered during this study made public, as I am happy
to publicize all my social-action related activities that promote social change and therefore inspire
more people to do similar work. I know that there are no right or wrong answers. What matters is
that readers and listeners want to hear my views and whether my views are similar or different from
other peoples views do not matter. I will benefit from this research as readers and listeners will
know about my name, my profile, my views, and my work, as they will be made public. I understand
that there are no known risks or discomforts associated with this research. If and when I do not feel
comfortable about given my views publicly about certain matters, I will not share those views here. I
acknowledge to have received a copy of this consent form. I give my consent to have my name
appear in the research findings, for the researcher to quote me in any paper resulting from this
interview, and to have my photographs appear in the research findings. By typing my name below
which serves as my digital signature and returning this form to Rey Ty by email, I am giving my
consent to participate in this research.
Please type your full name here: Abdurahim, Aldrin Bucoy
Nickname: Aldrin Date: December 16,
2014
2. Please give me your full profile, including titles (such as Bae, Datu, Director, Dr., Sultan, etc.). At
least give me your full name, your traditional and academic titles, your current job title and job
description (if any), optionally your important past jobs too, the place where you live in and work
(province, city, etc.) and other important information. I will take extracts from your profile and
identify you.
Answer: I am Engr. Aldrin Bucoy-Abdurahim, CoE. I am a freelance trainer.
3. What is your ethnicity or what are your ethnicities?
Answer: Sama Tausug and Zamboangueno
4. What is your religion?
Answer: Islam
5. Please give your brief summary of the history of conflict situation in Mindanao and Sulu. I know that
there are different views on the Mindanao Conflict and I would like to hear your views.
Answer: The long-struggle and conflict in Mindanao is attributed to the issue of land grabbing by settlers
from original inhabitants of Mindanao. Such caused greater violence which until now is prevalent. The
century old armed struggle is caused by the continuous poverty and structural violence that hits Mindanao.
Such increase of incidences of violence is further caused by the biases and prejudices we have over another
due to the differences we have in terms of race, culture and religion, gender and sex and other orientations.
For me, this is the main brief od the conflict in Mindanao that had resulted to the formation of many
revolutionary groups in the country.
6. Please give the causes of the Mindanao and Sulu conflict. Please enumerate or give a list and
explain one by one.
Answer: The century old armed struggle is caused by the continuous poverty and structural violence that hits
Mindanao. People still is living below poverty that is being attributed to ones personal attitude of being lazy
and very dependent to government aids. Moreover, even if we have no agreed definition of poverty, the gap
between the rich and the poor and the social classes is even connected to various forms of poverty. We
have the mentality of always lacking. We are not contented on what we have in life and we always aspire
for more. Poverty is a moral issue as well. While we agree that there are so many poor, the world can still
spend billions of money for armaments and security weapons.
The continuous desire to be in power and control ultimately results to corruption and selfishness. Of which
political dynasty came into existence. Nepotism became a=one greatest culture in terms of politics and
power.
Mindanao in its entirety is very rich in terms of culture and economic resources, since we are always
detained in human rights violations, human security is affected and that trading and economic enterprises
were affected. The arm struggles among revolutionary and rebel groups and that of the AFP and PNP
resulted to more destructions- properties, loss of lives and others costs of conflict to include the recent
ZAMBOANGA SIEGE last year.
The violences we experience in our life is further caused by the biases and prejudices we have over
another due to the differences we have in terms of race, culture and religion, gender and sex and other
orientations. Many associate the Mindanao conflict to be religious in nature. We admit to the fact that we
also has an issue on this. Our religious groups is not united with the single teachings of the church since we
are classified according to denominations. The differences we have if not appreciated and celebrated
caused divisions and gaps. This include for example that for Muslims who are further subdivided into 13
groups and four school of thoughts.
7.
Please give your perspective and evaluate all the efforts to solve the Mindanao and Sulu conflict. I
know that there are different perspectives on all the peace agreements, etc. I would like to hear your
views.
Answer: I have high hopes with the Peace Agreement being lodged by the MILF and GPH but I have
apprehensions with the other groups. The main issue for me right now is the sentiment of the rest of the
people over MILFs positioning to represent the Bangsamoro people which is in contrast with the claims of
the people on the ground. I believe there has to be still the efforts to unify the MNLF and MILF and combat
the presence of Abu Sayyaf and BIFF and he NPA. Even if the agreement will be passed into law, there is
still no assurance for genuine peace in Mindanao.
8.
Please describe diversity in the Philippine context in terms of national majority and national
minorities. Diversity means have many, such as many religions, ethnicities, and cultures.
Answer: Diversity in the Philippines is prevalent in terms of religion and ethnicities. The Philippines is a
Catholic country which isolates the Muslim in Mindanao areas. Of course in terms of religion, the Christian is
majority in the Philippines. The culture being observed in government where we have the majority and
minority in the congress best represent the divisions in our society. Even if there exist this social stigma,
everyone is being given the needed representation. We label ourselves with such due to population or
numbers.
9. Is diversity a problem for the country called the Philippines? Since when is diversity a problem or
not a problem? Please explain.
Answer: Diversity is not a problem in thePhilippines. It is to be celebrated as it promotes greater appreciation
of who we are. The term has been used by so many as an advantage point for tourism industry. Because we
are different from one another, this signify that we sometimes differ from points of view and how we look at
things, but above all, these are inspirations. This make us so unique.
10. If you think diversity is a problem, what changes have resulted? If you think diversity is not a
problem, please type NA or skip this question.
Answer: NA
11. How have majority/minority relationships (as we see them today) been established before the
Philippines became a country as we know it today? Please give a short summary about history
here.
Answer: I understand before the Philippines came into existence, there is already the powerful empire of the
orient- the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo which is a majority relationship with the rest of thw orld and
came the various groups like the Malays, Indonesians,Aetas, Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and the rest
of the world.
Because of colonization and expedition by various groups,the Philippines came to existence.
12. How have majority/minority relationships been established after the Philippines became a country
as we know it today? Please give a short summary of the situation since after independence and
World War II at around 1946 to the present.
Answer: I am not well-versed on this point. My analysis is it became worse due to various groups trying to
colonize the spaces and properties of the minorities especially during the Spanish, American and Japanese
occupation.
13. Are national minorities inherently a security concern? Please explain.
Answer: the monirities is not a security concern for me because such division is all caused by social labels
due to power and political agenda.
14. Do national minorities generate new forms of nationalism? Please explain.
Answer: With the claim to have autonomy in Mindanao, the minorities in its honest intention wanted to
establish another form of nationalism. Since there had been interventions already, the claim for
independence of Mindanao for the Bangsamoro was shifted to governance issue. At the end, we all remain
to be Filipinos.
15. In the final analysis, what do national minorities really want: (a) assimilation (be fully absorbed into
the mainstream majority), (b) integration (join one country but keep identity, culture, religion, etc.),
(c) autonomous region, (d) independence (secession, etc.), or others (please specify)? Please give
your personal views based on your own background (for example, you can say Im a Muslim Yakan
from Sulu or Muslim Iranun from Maguindanao, or Christianized Tboli Lumad from). Additionally,
you can also give the views of political groups.
Answer: I am a Sama Muslim- the group for me wanted just to be fully absorbed by the mainstream majority.
It is caused by the negligence of the majority on the welfare of our groups leading to the culture of begging
and mendicancy. We wanted to be co-eqal with the rest of the people.
In the context of being a Tausug Muslim, I know ever since the fight is all about independence and not
autonomous region. We wanted to be indenpdent in terms of governance but remains to be a Filipino. On
the contrary, working with the Counicl of Royal Datus of the Sultanate of Sulu, their long term plan is to be a
separate state away from the Philippines for areas of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The government would always