Pro-Government Militias
Greenans (Philippines)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 147 |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1986 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The Greenans formed in 1986, but there is no information who founded them. Their first activities were reported in 1988. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The Greenans were last mentioned in 1993. However, as the PGM was connected to the military and not to a specific government, and had previously “survived” a government change (Aquino-Ramos), we did not code the subsequent government change as date of termination. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | unclear | Main Creating Government Institution: | no information |
| Government Link(s): | military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | unclear |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; military |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | religious; former rebels |
| Primary Membership: | religious |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Negros, Ga-as, San Rafael |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | intimidation of civilians; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The Greenans were a fanatic religious cult. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | Like other vigilante groups, the Greenans were formed to protect civilians from the NPA rebels. By 1989, a source reports that engaging in combat was not their main function, but instead their purpose was to intimidate communities known to support the NPA’s mass base. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | While they were formed to protect civilians from the NPA, the Greenans soon engaged in violence against civilians themselves. There are reports of the Greenans torturing and beheading their victims. They used brutal methods such as disemboweling and mutilations in order to terrify the larger community. They were often deployed by the military and sometimes conducted the violence alongside regular soldiers. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | yes |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Recruits were drawn in parts of former NPAs and civilians from the rebels’ mass base. Those recruits reported that they had no choice as they could either join the Greenans or be branded as an NPA. It is reported that in at least one case a civilian was killed with some family members when he refused to join the Greenans. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The Greenans do not bear firearms but traditional machetes (bolos). |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The Greenans rely on donations from local residents, local government and the military. They enjoy immunity from persecution and official condemnation. They are deployed by the armed forces and engage in joint actions with the military. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.