Comment on the Baradas Paper.

The article presents comments on sociologist David Baradas' paper "Conflict in the Land of Promise," which was published in the October 1972 issue of the journal "Philippine Sociological Review." The long standing abuse of numerous Christian settlers, particularly farmers and businessmen, by certain Muslim datus and political warlords was one of the causes of the present conflict. These abuses had bred deep resentment among the Christians, many of whom privately admit that they had waited for as long as 30 years for an occasion to avenge themselves Listed among the abuses were the "tong" system practiced by some datus, cattlesrustling, reclaiming, sometimes several times over, of land sold to Christians, threats and intimidations of all kinds, and abuses against women, particularly in areas inhabited by none Christian tribes. This litany of abuses could go on interminably, so that there was little reason to doubt that sooner or later alliances of political leaden would emerge who would call a halt to what most Christians regarded as an intolerable situation.