Indigenous Islamic Conflict Resolution: The Case of General Santos City, Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract

This article examines the Shari’a Atas Bitiara (SAB) program implemented by the City Government of General Santos in Mindanao, Philippines. Recognized with the Galing Pook Award in 2023 for excellence in local governance, SAB integrates indigenous Islamic conflict resolution practices into public administration. It addresses the absence of dedicated Shari’a courts for the city’s Muslim constituents by offering culturally relevant, efficient, and cost-effective alternative dispute mechanisms. Through documentary research and expert interviews, this study highlights SAB’s notable accomplishments and innovations in creating value for the improvement of the quality of life in a multicultural society. Although the narrative of success often points to SAB’s satisfactory results, such accounts may obscure the indigenous Bangsamoro roots of the practice and the Islamic foundation of the principles underpinning it. SAB emphasizes the community’s sensibility for restorative justice, healing, and reconciliation over punitive measures. These are reinforced by Islam’s concepts of shura (consultation), sulh (conciliation), and tahkim (arbitration). By institutionalizing a tradition of public service delivery with deep cultural alignment, yet adaptable to modern elements such as human rights considerations and gender sensitivity, SAB has effectively resolved numerous disputes, ranging from marital issues to land conflicts. In both its practical performance and theoretical grounding, the SAB case exhibits a promising faith-based, non-Western framework of governance that can further enhance conditions for mutual understanding, communal bonds, and social cohesion.