Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat / Carmen, North Cotabato — In solemn remembrance of two of the most painful tragedies in Bangsamoro history, civil society organizations, peace advocates, and survivors’ families are
reaffirming their collective memory and resolve to uphold the spirit of justice and autonomy that emerged from the ashes of the Malisbong (Palimbang) Massacre and Manili Massacre.
The Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), in its continuing commitment to Transitional Justice and Reconciliation, joins the broader Bangsamoro community in commemorating the brutal slayings that served as a catalyst for the organized fronts of the Bangsamoro struggle and, ultimately, the birth of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Massacres: As Prelude to Resistance
Recalling back, The Manili Massacre happened on June 19, 1971, where more than 70 unarmed Moros—men, women, and children—were mercilessly gunned down inside a mosque in Barangay Manili, Carmen, North Cotabato. Perpetrated by paramilitary elements in the presence of state actors like officials and members of the Philippine Constabulary (PC). One unforgettable story of a Moro Professional and a government worker at time and as among the first batch of rescuers in the massacre site who said: One scene that totally changed his life from a government worker to a revolutionary and consequently joined Jihad fiy sabiilillah was that: “when I saw a child sucking a breast of a dead mother.” The incident sowed fear and galvanized many Muslims to heed the call of organized struggle under the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
In June 2023, CBCS joined the Ministry of Public Order and Safety (MPOS) in the 52nd commemoration, highlighting the continuing demand for justice and inclusion of Manili in the national narrative of historical injustice. Survivors and descendants called for educational recognition and moral reparations, urging young Bangsamoro to remember the lives lost.
Three years later, on September 24, 1974, the Malisbong Masscre under Martial Law, in the coastal municipality of Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat witnessed what many consider the most heinous massacre of Moro civilians in Philippine history which can be most appropriately labelled as “Mass Martyrdom in Palimbang”. Over 1,500 men were executed inside the Tacbil Mosque in Barangay Malisbong, while more than 3,000 women and children were detained, tortured, and raped by elements of the Philippine military.
In 2019, CBCS was among the lead civil society groups that marked the 45th commemoration, organizing a peace caravan, interfaith prayer, and symbolic candle lighting. The Tacbil Mosque, now a recognized site of remembrance, continues to stand as a monument to Bangsamoro suffering and resilience. The 2024 Golden Anniversary (50th) further cemented Malisbong’s place in the national consciousness, with survivors calling for truth-telling as a form of healing.
Our profound thanks and gratitude to the Executive and Legislative Officers of the municipality of Palimbang for declaring every September 24, as Municipal Holiday.
Organizational Fronts and the Road to Autonomy
The compounded atrocities in Manili and Malisbong and in many parts of Mindanao, notwithstanding the Jabida
Massacre spurred the rise of organized revolutionary fronts—MNLF in the early 1970s and MILF in the succeeding decades. These organizations became instruments of struggle of the Bangsamoro to push for their right to self-determination (RSD), leading to historic peace agreements such as the Tripoli Agreement (1976), the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement (1996), the Annex on Normalization and Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB, 2014).
These laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which later transitioned to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in 2019.
CBCS Message: “The Struggle Is Rooted in Memory
According to leaders from CBCS-Sugoda Buayan Cluster, remembering the Manili and Malisbong and all other massacres is not simply about revisiting history—it is about safeguarding the moral foundation of the Bangsamoro government.
“Every achievement in BARMM today—every youth scholarship, every legislation passed, every infrastructure built—is traced back to the sacrifices of those whose lives were taken without justice,” said CBCS Regional Lead Convenor for Soguda Buayan, who emphasized the role of civil society in carrying forward this historical consciousness.”These commemorations must be institutionalized, not only as cultural memory but as guiding moral compass for leaders and constituents alike.” he added further.
Towards Collective Healing and Justice
The CBCS calls upon BARMM ministries, LGUs, traditional leaders, and youth organizations to continue supporting efforts for memorialization, reparations, and inclusive truth-telling. While the massacres of Manili, Malisbong and other areas occurred over 50 years ago, their relevance to transitional justice, peacebuilding, and nation-building remains deeply urgent.
In the words of a Manili survivor for those who lost their lives: “They did not die in vain. We were forgotten once. Please don’t let it happen again.”
By Ibnussaveel, CBCS – Soguda Buayan Cluster
August 11, 2025
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