Battle of Northern Mindanao (2008) (World of Sultans)

The Battle of Northern Mindanao (Malay: Pertpempuran Mindanao Utara, Filipino: Labanan ng Mindanao Norte) also known as the Sinulog War (Filipino: Labanan ng Sinulog, Malay: Pertempuran Sinulog) and the 2008 Moro-Filipino War was fought from October to December 13, 2008 between Bangsamoro and the Philippines over northern Mindanao, the areas of the island of Mindanao that were under Filipino occupation. It was the first war that was fought between the Moros and Filipinos ever since 1983.

Ever since 1983, while signing the Treaty of Manila, the Moros publicly accepted the ceasefire, but secretly had been plotting and building up for war against the Philippines. The Moro armed forces had been stockpiling and purchasing weapons from Russia. Filipino military intelligence was suspicious of the Moro military buildup, however Philippine president Joseph Estrada ignored the warnings, and was also responsible for decreasing military presence in the southern Philippines. Prior to Estrada's presidency, the Filipino forces had always kept an eye and a tight presence in the southern Philippines, particularly northern Mindanao to deal with any possible attacks from the Moros. In addition, the Philippines was dealing with armed revolts against the regime of Estrada, which the Moro forces capitalized on to carry out their war.

In addition, the Philippines was observing the nationwide Sinulog festivals.

Upon hearing of the fighting in the Philippines, as well as the obliviousness and ignorance of the Filipinos due to their Catholic celebrations, then-sultan Nur Misuari proclaimed, "It is time, let us do this. They are in the most ignorant and un-suspecting state of mind right now, the most un-suspecting and oblivious I've ever seen."

While the celebrations were taking place, Moro forces lay a destructive siege to important strategic places in northern Mindanao. Unlike before, the Moro forces divided themselves into two parts. The 6th and 7th Northern Battalions would be responsible head-on for attacking Filipino forces, while the 8th and 9th Northern Battalions would attack civilians. This simultaneous-style of attack ensured the Filipino forces total shock.

The Moro forces overran the Filipino defenses in northern Mindanao, in a matter of days, three cities in northern Mindanao fell to the Moro forces, with all of their soldiers and police surrendering to the invading Moros. Over 1,344 Filipino soldiers and an additional 8,502 police men were captured. Only then, did Joseph Estrada decide to send more Filipino forces into northern Mindanao, which at that point, was already too late. Approximately 13,400,340 Filipino settlers were rounded up in prison camps, to be executed and killed.

Sultan Nur Misuari issued an ultimatum to the Philippine government, they surrender northern Mindanao and he frees the prisoners. Or the Filipinos keep sending soldiers, and "13,000,000 of their brethren will never see daylight again".

He issued a speech, "To President Joseph Estrada and all of those in the Philippine government and elite, listen up. We have about millions and millions of your kind in captivity. They are weeping, and praying to their God that they will be released. I will release them, and all the families can unite. However, you will surrender all of northern Mindanao to us, for the pain and suffering you have caused us. Or, you can keep sending your soldiers, not only will they die, but 13,000,000 of their brethren will never see daylight again. They will be executed, and used as sacrifices to Allah. It is your choice."

By December 14, 2008, the Philippines officially announced its surrender of northern Mindanao. Philippine military leaders met with Moro military leaders in Kota Batu, to sign the terms of surrender. Misuari ordered the release of the Filipino prisoners on December 16, 2008.

Outcome
After the Moros secured their military victory, Sultan Nur Misuari immediately declared martial law on the entirety of northern Mindanao, meant to target the Filipino settlers, who constituted the majority of northern Mindanao. Misuari issued curfews for northern Mindanao, and stripped all non-Muslims of any political position. Afterwards, Operation Balikbayan took shape, or the evacuation of Filipinos in Mindanao (now all Bangsamoro) who chose to migrate to the Philippines. The Filipinos were driven in vehicles by the Moro Army, transferred to ships by the Royal Moro Navy who then transferred them to ships of the Philippine Navy and safely evacuated to the Philippines.

After the evacuation and emigration of Filipinos back to Philippine-held territory, Misuari enacted the Moro Resettlement Program, to resettle northern Mindanao with impoverished Moros. Misuari also enacted the Conversion Program, an effort to convert abandoned Christian churches in northern Mindanao to mosques and Islamic learning centers.

Out of a total population of 14,200,421 Filipinos in northern Mindanao, only 1,300,244 remained. Many of these Filipinos were resettled throughout other parts of Bangsamoro.

Human Rights Abuses
Upon the surrendering of the Philippines, the Moro soldiers conducted various abuses and atrocities against the Filipino prisoners before they were to officially be released on December 16, 2008. On December 15, 2008, General Ameril Umbra Kato of the Moro Army told his officers and soldiers, "Sure, the Sultan has ordered us to release the prisoners. But it isn't until 48 hours, and he never said to make their final days in prison to be joyful. So we're going to make these next 48 hours, the most miserable moments of their lives."

Moro soldiers were reported to have raped Filipino women, seperated families and carried out forced-conversions to Islam. Many more were also reported to have destroyed or defaced Catholic churches in northern Mindanao, and even paid armed civilians to form militant groups and hunt down Filipino Christians. Priests and clergymen were known to have recieved the worst of the treatment. Approximately 143 Filipinos were reported to have died in the maltreatment of the camps, though Malaysian authorities and other suspecting observers claim the number to be much higher, some predict above 300,000 to a million Filipino civilian POWs died from maltreatment. Of the 13,400,340 officially counted Filipino prisoners, only 12,784,934 made it back to Philippine-held territory. Of the 3,450 Filipino soldiers and police POWs, only 2,301 made it back to the Philippines alive.

Upon the allegations, General Umbra Kato showed no remorsed, and stated that it's a "complete vengance" for the atrocities that the Filipino invaders and their settlers committed back in 1983 and to through the years following.

In the Alkazar Kota Batu, Umbra Kato said, "I don't doubt what they're accusing me of doing. I show no remorse, what I did was completely justified in the eyes of Allah. When the Filipinos occupied northern Mindanao in 1983, they committed henious abuses against not only my Moro Muslim brethren, but also the native Orang Lumad Christans, the Pulauans and all of the Bumiputra. Their settlers supported this violent pogrom, and lived on the land that the blood of the Bumiputra was spilled on. They hoarded and accumalated mass mountains of wealth, on the blood of the Bumiputra. Rather than showing remorse, the settlers continued to live their drunken lives of theft, and getting rich from it. We needed to teach them a lesson, to make them pay with their blood."

General Umbra Kato first executed the Filipino soldiers, from the highest rank to the lowest, then the Filipino police in the same manner, and then the civilians. Of the civilians, a similar structure was carried in out, in which Umbra Kato first executed the politicians, Christian clergy, and other elite. Umbra Kato also ordered the immediete early execution of Mindanao or Sulu-born Filipinos, considering them to be traitors to their brethren.

For the Filipinos that chose to remain in the country, unless they were Muslim, the Sultan imposed martial law on their communities, as well as forced conversions to Islam in bribes for greater freedoms. All Filipino officeholders lost their positions unless they converted to Islam. In addition, Moros were encouraged to stay away from Christian churches.

There were global requests to have Ameril Umbra Kato tried and executed for war crimes. Many supporters of an execution of Ameril Umbra Kato came from the the Philippines itself, United States, Canada, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Mexico and Italy, and religious bodies such as the Roman Catholic Church denounced Ameril Umbra Kato as a war criminal, Muslim organizations also denounced him. The Saudi government threatened to cut fundings and monetary aid for those making the hajj from Bangsamoro. Ameera al-Taweel of the Arab Confederation begged the kings of the Confederation to defund hajj deals and programs with Bangsamoro.

Despite the negative global image of Ameril Umbra Kato, he, along with Nur Misuari were considered war heroes in the country. Misuari actively defended Umbra Kato's actions. Indonesia also had a high number of reported supporters of Umbra Kato.

Misuari appointed Umbra Kato to hunt down Ilaga members, which were still reported to exist in Mindanao.

The Philippine government, despite calls to do so, never questioned the Bangsamoro government as to the whereabouts of the missing prisoners. In 2015, 102 bodies and 304 remains were sent back to the Philippines under the new leadership of the less-radical sultan Mamintal Adiong II from Lanao.

In Cebu and Palawan, the Ilaga carried out their own revenge-atrocities against the Muslim communities, and carried bombings and destructions of mosques. Anti-Islam sentiments became rampant in Cebu and Palawan. There were even known American Christian far-right members helping the Ilaga carry out their attacks against Muslims.

This formed the Cebu Islamic Force, which consisted of armed Muslims in Cebu, which was known to have been supported by the Bangsamoro government.

The Bangsamoro government responded by demaning the Philippines stop persecuting its Muslims, or else it would publicly behead ten Filipino army officers currently held in captivity.