COTABATO CITY (February 10) — For many families in Maguindanao del Sur, peace agreements sealed with “blood money” have brought only temporary calm—followed by another round of gunfire, displacement, and fear.
Now, the Philippine Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade is calling for a pause in the long-standing practice, warning that cash-based settlements meant to end clan feuds are instead encouraging repeat violence and deepening the social cost on communities.
Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, raised the concern during a recent meeting of civilian, police, and military officials convened after renewed gunfights among rival clans—some of which had already signed peace covenants brokered through monetary settlements.
“These agreements lose meaning when they are repeatedly broken,” Catu said in Filipino, according to a summary of his remarks. “Money becomes useless when the receiving party continues revenge.”
A tradition under strain
Under Islamic Shariah tradition, diyat or “blood money” allows financial compensation to settle feuds involving injury or loss of life, provided both parties agree. The alternative, kisas, involves retributive justice.
But security officials say the growing misuse of diyat has weakened its moral and social foundation. Instead of deterring violence, repeated settlements have, in some cases, created the belief that bloodshed can be “paid off.”
Catu cited an ongoing feud between two Maguindanaon clans that resumed despite a previous money-based settlement. One party, he said, repeatedly violated the agreement, allegedly shielded by kinship ties to influential civilian and police figures.
The cost borne by communities
While feuding clans negotiate settlements, it is ordinary residents who absorb the damage.
Recurring gunfights disrupt farming and trade, force families to flee their homes, close schools, and stretch already limited local resources. Parents keep children indoors, businesses shut early, and entire barangays live under the shadow of the next retaliation.
Security officials warned that when violence is normalized through cash settlements, trust in both traditional mediation and formal justice erodes—leaving communities trapped in cycles of fear and instability.
“I suggest we settle disputes without ‘blood money,’” Catu said. “Let the police and military pursue those who violate peace covenants.”
He added that holding offenders criminally accountable may be the only way to deter future violence and protect civilians.
Ambush revives fears
The issue resurfaced sharply following the January 12 ambush in Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur that killed Hamsa Kindo, also known as “Kumander Tuabak,” a battalion commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s 118th Base Command, and his companion Mohammad Acob.
Ustaz Wahid Tundok, head of the 118th MILF Base Command, said the attack was believed to have been carried out by an influential group that had earlier undergone an amicable settlement with Kumander Tuabak.
Known locally for his strong stance against illegal drugs, Kumander Tuabak’s killing has heightened fears that peace covenants—when repeatedly violated without consequence—offer little protection against violence.
Searching for lasting peace
The Army’s call does not seek to abolish traditional conflict-resolution mechanisms but to reassess their use when they no longer serve peace.
Officials said the challenge now is restoring accountability—ensuring that peace agreements carry consequences, and that justice is not undermined by money, influence, or kinship.
For communities caught between clan loyalties and chronic insecurity, the stakes are clear: without credible enforcement of peace and law, the cycle of violence will continue—paid for not just in money, but in lives, livelihoods, and the everyday sense of safety in Maguindanao del Sur.
