The Timuay Justice and Governance

 Source: The Timuay Justice and Governance

Brief History

The Timuay is a tribal title and system of governance practice by the Téduray and Lambangian since time immemorial up to the present. This is characterize by a collective form of leadership and free participation of the maginged (citizens) through attendance to assemblies and forums called for by the Baglalan or tribal title holders in the different line of works in tribal governance.

In its historical development, the recorded highest level of organizational formation reach by the Timuay system was in the tribal level. This means that every tribal group embracing the Timuay system of governance has its own territory, center of governance, laws, defense and programs to follow.

In Mindanao, the Subanun, Teduray, Lambangian, and the Arumanun Manuvu practice the Timuay system of governance at tribe level. These tribal based self-governance were about to develop into inter-tribal formation but interrupted and finally failed due to external intervention. First is the coming of the Sultanate system and the Islamic faith estimated by many scholars between 1450-1475 AD brought by the famous Muslim missionary Sharif Mohammad Kabungsuan in Mindanao.

According to oral history, the intrusion of the Sultanate system in Mindanao was generally peaceful. However, it was also tainted with conflict because they entered into the tribal territories controlled by the Baglalan in the Timuay system. But the conflict was resolved through conventional means and resulted to the division of the traditional tribal communities into two groups.

First: the group of Mamalu who choose to remain as implementer of the Timuay system; and second, the Tabunaway group who led and pursued the Sultanate system and the Islamic faith. This situation formed the historic treaty between the two leaders and their followers.

Subject of the treaty were as follows: recognition and respect of the territory, system of governance and religious beliefs of each group; the continuing and non-limit circulation of resources and livelihood and the “sawit” system or gifts among communities; unity against common enemy; and forever treatment as brothers and sisters. This treaty was publicly sworn to by both parties thru a ritual and mutually agreed that the treaty must be observed by the leaders including the coming generations to come.

As years passed by, the Sultanate system of governance became superior over the Timuay system because our Muslim brothers and sisters controlled the strategic places such as the plains and the coastal villages. They have connection too to the global trade and the expansion of Islam was done rapidly as ideological bases and means for tactical consolidation among their leaders and followers while the Timuay system is isolated in intact villages as a way to ensure none disturbance in the implementation of their traditions and customs.

Sadly however, pushed by dis-similar concept of living the solemnized treaty was gradually forgotten and at this point, it came out that the Sultanate system is superior over the Timuay system. The Sultanate system considered the leaders of the Timuay governance as their subjects. They don’t mind them as their equal partner in leadership.

On the other hand, from the north of the archipelago, another form of civilization is spreading southward. This time introduced by the Spanish colonizers and the United States of America. This civilization pushed the emergence of the Philippine Republic as a nation state.

Under the new Republic, the tribal communities experienced far worst than that of the Sultanate system because of the State’s slogan calling for “one nation, one people and one government”. This means that there is no other government having the authority to govern over the people of the Philippine Republic except the Philippine government. This finally meant that the Sultanate, the Timuay systems and other forms of governance were not given authority to govern over their own people.

This is a sad experience among the tribal people until such time that R.A. 8371 otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) was passed into law in 1997 with the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) as the primary agency of government looking into the welfare of the IPs in the country.

It is in this context that the Teduray and Lambangian re-organized the Timuay system of governance in October 2-5, 2002 Timfada Limud (Tribal Congress) and called it the TIMUAY JUSTICE AND GOVERNANCE (TJG).

Read the full article here: https://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article5255 or the link Source.