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Abstract

Ideas and discourses matter in the development of institutions. In the context of the Bangsamoro people’s struggle for self-determination, the myriad of ideas and discourses that were instigated, asserted, and contested by different actors catalyzed sporadic episodes of hostilities, co-optations, and settlements. These events, in turn, shaped their quest for self-determination and explained how, when, and why the Bangsamoro people, from initially clamoring for outright independence, have instead opted for a negotiated political settlement in the form of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). It is, therefore, the objective of this paper to discuss the impacts of ideas and discursive interactions between and among major actors vis-à-vis the development of the BARMM. The paper will trace and discuss Bangsamoro’s history of statehood, public declarations for secession, the foundation of armed movements, and the acceptance of political settlements. A discursive institutionalist framework, along with archival research and content analysis of government documents, media reports, and scholarly publications, will be employed in discussing the abovementioned matters. Undertaking this study through these approaches will allow us to understand how the discourse on the Bangsamoro struggle for self-determination shifted from being defined as an aspiration for an independent state, to an armed struggle between secessionist movements and the national government of the Philippines, and ultimately into a struggle for genuine autonomy within the framework of Philippine sovereignty. The latter discourse eventually resulted in the formation of BARMM, a secular and democratic institution that recognized not only the Bangsamoro people’s right to self-determination but also the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines. Although the BARMM has been officially inaugurated, it is necessary to underscore that its degree of institutionalization will depend upon the realization or non-attainment of its objectives.

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