The Maguindanao Massacre: A Serious Challenge to Human Security in the Philippines

Frances Jeanne L Sarmiento

doi:10.22151/politikon.19.6

Authors

Frances Jeanne L Sarmiento De la Salle University, Manila

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22151/politikon.19.6

Keywords:

human security, case study, Philippines, Maguindanao Massacre, UNDP

Abstract

No previous outbreak of election-related violence in the Philippines could compare to the events that took place in the province of Maguindanao on 23 November 2009, resulting in the death of fiftyseven (57) people. This paper assesses the tragic events dubbed as the “Maguindanao Massacre” by the Philippine press in terms of its repercussions on human security in Maguindanao province, using the seven categories of human security as defined under the 1994 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Future developments to this on-going saga need to be closely monitored and analyzed as part of the citizenry's responsibility to be vigilant, to ensure that any further threats to human security in the Philippines could be promptly addressed.

Author Biography

Frances Jeanne L Sarmiento, De la Salle University, Manila

France Jeanne L Sarmiento, 43, received her Master's Degree in Demography at the University of the Philippines in 1993. She obtained an MBA at the Ateneo de Manila University in 2000, and her Bachelor of Laws degree at Arellano University in 2007. She currently teaches at the De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines, where she is also pursuing her PhD in Development Studies. Her interests include development studies, business management, and alternative dispute resolution.