Mindanao State University History and Hadji Kamlon

Module Objectives

• Students should understand why the Mindanao State University System was created
• Students should understand why History 3 became a mandated course in the MSU System
• Students should appreciate the relevance of studying this history

The Story of Kamlon

• Hadji Kamlon was a WWII veteran and Tausug hero
• From 1948-1955 Kamlon unexpectedly rebelled against the Philippine government, defying authorities for 8 years
• The Philippine military concentrated forces on Jolo to capture him, but he evaded arrest
• The government viewed Kamlon as a major threat to national security, second only to the Hukbalahap communists in the 1950s
• Many Tausugs saw Kamlon as a folk hero, a Robin Hood figure

Kamlon's Uprising

• In 1951, Kamlon's uprising peaked when he and 100 followers inflicted heavy casualties on government soldiers
• By 1951, armed clashes raged across Sulu
• Kamlon Hadji and 100 followers launched the most bloody
• Kamlon's band comprised of old rifles and krises
• Kamlon mainly restricted to the Luuk area on Jolo island
• Kamlon inflicted severe losses on lives, equipment, and funds
• The government engaged Kamlon for almost 4 years

Military Response and Casualties

• 5,000 ground troops, naval, air, and mortar support were utilized against Kamlon
• Logistical expenditures totaled P185 million, yet Kamlon remained uncaptured and gave up conditionally due to advanced age
• In August 1955, Kamlon and 40 followers routed a government platoon in Sulu, killing 18 and wounding 19, marking the largest casualty in one engagement
• Kamlon's group sustained only 1 death and 5 wounded in that particular assault

Causes of the Kamlon Rebellion

• The military viewed Kamlon as a Moro wanting to return to a life of freebooting
• Others attributed his rebellion to conflict among local Sulu leaders
• Kamlon was allegedly irked by the land registration law requiring land to be registered
• Land registration caused a clan feud between Kamlon and a Tausug affiliated with the government, who applied for land title to Kamlon's ancestral land
• The government intervened in the feud, leading Kamlon and his followers to suspect the government supported his local enemies

Legal Aftermath and Local Support

• Kamlon was charged with multiple murder and kidnapping and sentenced to death
• The Supreme Court affirmed his sentence in 1963, but it was not carried out
• Many Tausugs respected and loved Kamlon
• Locals did not cooperate with the military despite rewards for his capture
• Troopers were met with "diih" (no) or "bukon" (not him) when asking about Kamlon

Government Response to Kamlon's Rebellion

• The government questioned why Kamlon couldn't be captured despite military superiority
• Congress formed a Special House Committee to investigate the causes of the unrest
• The committee consisted of Sen. Domocao Alonto, Cong. Luminog Mangelen, and Cong. Ombra Amilbangsa
• The committee found that Kamlon's rebellion stemmed from the Moros feeling they were not Filipinos and the Philippine government was foreign

Recommendations and Implementation

• The Committee recommended measures to make Moros feel integrated into the Philippine nation
• This aim would be achieved through a comprehensive approach covering economic, social, moral, political, and educational developments
• The government created programs and agencies to integrate non-Christian Filipinos
• The Commission on National Integration (CNI) (1957) and Mindanao State University (1961) were the foremost agencies charged with this function

Creation of the Mindanao State University System

• The Commission on National Integration (CNI) was the first agency tasked with integrating non-Christian Filipinos
• The CNI's gigantic tasks, limited funding, and poor administration hindered its ability to carry out its mandate fully
• The CNI would be abolished more than 10 years later
• When dissolved, the responsibility of educational integration and advancement (especially for Moros and other IPs of MinSuPala) was transferred to Mindanao State University

MSU's Mandate and Integration Efforts

• Mindanao State University (MSU) was created on September 1, 1961 through RA 1387
• MSU was the brainchild of Senator Domocao A. Alonto
• Integration, according to its first president, Dr. Antonio Isidro, was the heart of MSU and would serve as a social laboratory
• The 1954 congressional committee conceptualized MSU as a social laboratory for national integration
• Integration is stated as a crucial mandate on the University's official website
• MSU is the only university directly charged by the government to advance national unity and pursue integration through education
• MSU is mandated to perform standard university functions (instruction, research, extension), provide trained manpower for MINSUPALA's economic development, and accelerate integration among Southern Philippine peoples, especially Muslims and cultural minorities

MSU as a Social Laboratory

• University dormitories have a policy against students from the same province becoming roommates
• University has performing groups and cultural guilds with mixed memberships, such as Darangen, Kambayoka, Kapariz, etc
• Muslim, Christian, and Lumad students learn each other's dances, music, language, poetry, and values
• MSU's integration mandate is captured in the dictum "unity in diversity”

History 3 as a Mandated Course

• Controversy surrounds the term "integration" as MSU's special mandate
• Salah Jubair notes some Moros object to the term due to its inclusion of assimilation
• Jubair also states integration implied Christians being superior in all spheres, including religion
• Jubair believes integration would eventually eliminate the distinction between Muslims and Christians

MSU's Integration Stance

• MSU's integration does not entail assimilation of local culture and religious beliefs of Moros and IPs of MinSuPala.
• The University's mission statement focuses on peace, sustainable development, setting standards of excellence, accelerating development of Muslim and other cultural groups, and linkages with foreign agencies

University Mission

• The University mission includes preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the region
• MSU's integration does not stand for absorption and eventual annihilation of Moro and other IP heritages
• The University aims to preserve and promote Moro and other IP cultures as part of national integration
• Integration means enabling Moros and other IPs to recognize themselves as Filipinos
• Integration involves appreciating government efforts, providing opportunities, and ensuring Moro and IP cultures are not considered marginal

Purpose of Studying Mindanao History

• Studying history helps students see past "mistakes" and avoid repeating them
• History helps in improving the nation's future by recognising blunders, failures, victories and successes
• Studying the struggles of Moros and Lumads rectifies distorted history and recognizes Moro and Lumad contributions to the Filipino nation
• Studying the past broadens understanding of present situations, including Muslim-Christian-Lumad relationships
• Knowledge can foster willingness for dialogue, problem-solving, and correcting mistakes
• Redefining the violent past of Mindanao can broaden Philippine horizons
• Essential values for genuine reconciliation, like empathy and respect, are developed through history, furthering dialogue and minimising the culture of violence
• Studying History 3 (Mindanao History) promotes a culture of peace in MinSuPala
• Charter authors believed this goal could be achieved through the multiplier and trickle-down effects on the MSU system's students