Pro-Government Militias

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National Alliance for Democracy (Philippines)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 154
Country: Philippines
Date formed: Dec. 10, 1988
    Accuracy of date formed: month
Details of Formation: The National Alliance for Democracy emerged in late 1988, when 20 anti-communist movements and vigilante groups decided to unite and form an umbrella organisation.
Date dissolved: June 30, 2010
    Accuracy of date dissolved: decade
Details of Termination: The last evidence is from 2008 when the PGM held an indignation rally. In 2010, Benigno Aquino III became president. As we have no information on the group’s existence after the change in government, we code it as terminated from the day of government change on.
Termination Type(s): change in government

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?: no
    Main Creating Government Institution: none
Government Link(s): state (institution); military (institution)
    If link to party, name of party: None
Training and Equipment: unclear
Shared Information and Joint Operations: unclear
Shared Personnel: no information
Type(s) of Material Support: corporation
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: religious; ideology; former rebels
Primary Membership: ideological
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: Cebu, Zamboanga del Sur
Force Strength: [unknown, 2000]
Target(s): rebels, insurgents, or other armed group
Purpose(s): 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 National Alliance for Democracy (NAD) was initially active in 1988-89 and was apparently revived in 2000. Wikipedia mentions the existence of a party called National Alliance for Democracy, but we have no further information whether it is the same as this PGM. NAD receives some money from large businesses which use them to counter strikes by the May 1st Movement, a radical union federation. NAD is an umbrella group: The Alsa Masa PGM is also part of NAD, as well as other groups such as the Red-Alert Christian Ministry, the Catholic Action to Love the Communists and People’s Alliance against Communism.

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The NAD’s main purpose was to fight the communist insurgency. It was part of the new military strategy to increase political warfare and in this mark the Defense Secretary Ramos enlisted the NAD to roll back popular support for the Communist Party.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use unknown

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians:
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: unknown

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? yes
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership: During 1988 and 1989 there were cases of forced recruitment, when the military branded people refusing to join as communists.
PGM Members Killed? no information

PGM Size

Size: Upon foundation, the umbrella NAD was composed of 20 groups. By 2000, this had increased to 120 participant groups. In 2008, NAD held a rally with more than 2,000 people, with most of them being members of NAD.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: NAD members asked the military for weapons, but we have no information whether the military answered that demand.

Organisation

Organisation: The government of President Corazon Aquino sanctioned the NAD.

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Wikipedia. “List of political parties in the Philippines”. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_political_parties_in_the_Philippines&oldid=965477868

Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD

Evidence