Applying a Violence Intensity Index in the Bangsamoro
Author(s):
This thematic paper introduces a Violence Intensity Index and its application in the five provinces of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The overarching objective is to establish an evaluative tool that can be used to improve the targeting mechanisms of government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, directly or indirectly, involved in development and conflict management in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and various media reports. The overarching objective is to establish an evaluative tool that can be used to improve the targeting mechanisms of government agencies and non-governmental organizations, directly or indirectly, involved in development and conflict management in the Bangsamoro region. Two estimation frameworks are presented in this article — the VII with and without displacement data in geographical (province) and temporal (month) terms. The VII demonstrates that the provinces of Maguindanao and Basilan registered the largest violence intensity, the former due to the frequency of incidents, and the latter due to the magnitude of violence. The index reinforces the findings of the 2011-2013 BCMS General Report that showed increased violence during the agricultural “lean” months and during local elections.