Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

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

Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD

Evidence