MANILA — With the goal to establish a mechanism that will provide an immediate response to the proliferation of clan conflicts across the country, House Bill No. 2572 was filed for the creation of the Office of Clan Conflict Prevention under the Office of the President.

The said bill was formally introduced to the plenary on Wednesday, 03 August 2022, and was subsequently referred to the Committee on Government Reorganization for evaluation and consideration.

Local clan conflicts or “rido,” as commonly known in Mindanao, are defined as a state of recurring hostilities between families and kinship groups characterized by a series of retaliatory acts of violence carried out to avenge a perceived affront or injustice.

The prevalence of such cases urged the local governments in Mindanao to exert efforts and explore mechanisms to solve this issue.

“They recognized that the ordinary judicial process is not (enough or) an effective tool due to its cultural inclination,” Rep. Alana Santos said after filing the bill.

“It is at this time that we, as lawmakers, should begin finding nexus between culture and law.”