Tausug Cultural Orientation - Philippine Culture

Exchange 22: Did these people threaten you?
bakas kaw shangupan sin manga taw
Soldier: Did these people threaten you?
eenee?
Local: No. uwaay
A Tausug male must protect and defend not only himself and his own family, but his
entire clan as a matter of reciprocal obligation. He will put his own life on the line for a
family member, no matter how distant a relative, so that when his own life is in jeopardy,
he can be sure the clan will rally to his defense. 104
Exchange 23: How is your family?
Soldier: How is your family?
Local: They are doing fine, thank you.
beeya dee in da in tawta ya nak
moo?
moora mooraahaan, marayaw eesaab
seela, magsukool
Known as rido in Tagalog and pagbanta in Tausug, clan conflicts are akin to honor
killings. 105 Refusal to demand payment of a blood debt from one’s enemies, in short,
opens a Tausug male up to the charge that he is without shame (way sipug). Shame
reflects awareness of the individual as a member of a community.
A number of factors explain the high incidence of such conflicts. A lack of governmental
authority along with a proliferation of firearms, including automatic weapons, makes
these incidences difficult to prevent. It can take little more than an offhanded threat to
provoke violence, which then goes into a game of tit-for-tat— or retaliation in kind. The
intensity of the feud is determined by the relationship between the antagonists. If they
live in the same community, it is unlikely to lead to multiple acts of homicide. If they are
from different communities, however, escalation is almost inevitable.
Piracy
The Tausug, as a coastal people, have a long history of piracy.
Before slavery was outlawed under American colonial rule, the
booty was often humans who were sold into slavery, as well as
other living creatures such as cattle, which had monetary value. In
more recent times, the goods have expanded to include consumer
products. What has remained constant is the type of organization
which pirates form. A group of 10 to 25 armed men led by a
kinsman will look for a vulnerable target like the Badjao people,
fishermen also known as “sea gypsies,” whose lowly status is
104 Inquirer. Mustafa, Noralyn. “The Tausug Enigma.” 16 September 2000.
http://www.travelsmart.net/article/101744/
105 The Asia Foundation, Executive Summary. Durante, Ofelia. “Management of Clan Conflict and Rido
among the Tausug, Magindanao, Maranao, Sama and Yakan Tribes.” June 2005.
http://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/ADZUExecSummary1.pdf
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