Pro-Government Militias
Pulahan (Philippines)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 173 |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Date formed: | Dec. 12, 1987 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The Pulahan group dates back to Spanish colonial times. Their first pro-government activity is recorded in December 1987 when the Pulahan backed the Civilian Home Defence Force. |
| Date dissolved: | Jan. 21, 2001 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The last evidence is from December 2000 when the Pulahan attacked a fellow Christian cult. In 2001, Macapagal-Arroyo 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? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| 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): | unclear |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | unclear |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | military |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | religious |
| Primary Membership: | religious |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Mindanao |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 100] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; religious group |
| Purpose(s): | intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; 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: | Pulahan was an armed religious, pseudo-Christian cult. It supported the military and other PGMs, such as Alsa Masa or CHDF in their operations. In 2000, the Pulahan was also fighting a rival pseudo-Christian cult called Philippine Benevolent Missionary Association (PBMA). |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The Pulahan’s main purpose is to fight the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) insurgents. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | In 1991, members of Pulahan, alongside a soldier and a military informer, killed a priest who spoke out against illegal logging. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Members are described as fanatic and believing that bullets cannot harm their bodies. |
| PGM Members Killed? | rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: | In 1999, the Pulahan claimed to have 100 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Pulahan use machetes and guns, such as a World War II Thompson machine gun. They are armed by the military. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The PGM is connected to district commander Col. Franco Calida, who is called “The Godfather” by a Pulahan member and contacted to ask for ammunition. In General Santos city the Pulahan are led by Kumander Inday. One news source from 2000 says their leader was Edecio Quinanola (but he was killed that year). |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.