'Uprising' rumors amid Rody's arrest shrugged off

A study by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) has debunked social media claims of an imminent uprising in Mindanao following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte last month.

The PCIJ report, released Tuesday, found that social media pages were spreading disinformation, including using unrelated videos of unrest in Indonesia, to portray Duterte as a victim and claim separatist groups were mobilizing against the government.

It added that the pages were twisting facts to favor Duterte's camp and that the propaganda was damaging the peace process in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

"In the days following Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest, numerous social media pages falsely claimed that former separatist groups were mobilizing in his support, using unrelated videos of unrest in Indonesia to stoke fears of a brewing conflict in Mindanao," the PCIJ said.

"There was a concern that bad actors could exploit the false narratives to recruit residents into mounting a violent response to the arrest," it added.

Both the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed peace agreements with the government, have denied the claims.

BARMM Interim Chief Minister Abdularaof Macacua, also chief of staff of the MILF’s armed wing, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), dismissed the claims.

"War is not an option," Macacua said in an interview. "The Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces are now in the process of decommissioning, and I am also part of that process. Kailangan ma-decommission. So, until now, hindi pa rin ako nade-decommission. But definitely, I will undertake this decommissioning."

Decommissioning refers to the process where rebels surrender their weapons and participate in rehabilitation programs.

Macacua said the MILF is focused on the progress of BARMM and that the government is addressing the region’s needs. He praised Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo Jr. for acting as a “bridge” between the Palace and BARMM.

Former Maguindanao del Sur Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu also dismissed the rumors of an uprising, saying the MILF-led BARMM would continue to cooperate with the government.