Moros during World War II

The Moro Muslims of Mindanao and Sulu took up arms and fought hard against the Japanese invasion and helped defeat the Japanese occupation. Some of the Moros had been fighting the Americans just weeks before the Japanese invaded and proceeded to direct their fight against the new invaders as well. Sultan Jainal Abirin II of Sulu opposed the Japanese invasion. The violent armed struggle against the Japanese, Filipinos, Spanish, and Americans is considered by current Moro Muslim leaders as part of the four centuries long "national liberation movement" of the Bangsamoro (Moro Nation). The 400-year-long resistance against the Japanese, Americans, and Spanish by the Moro Muslims persisted and morphed into their current war for independence against the Philippine state.

The Tausug Moros lived in the Sulu archipelago, traditionally ruled by the Sulu Sultanate, the Maguindanaon Moros lived in on Mindanao, traditionally ruled by the Maguindanao Sultanate, and the Maranao Moros lived around Lake Lanao, traditionally ruled by the Confederation of sultanates in Lanao (Pat a Pangampong a Ranao). They were invaded by the Americans in the Moro Rebellion and annexed into the Philippines. Among the anti-Japanese resistance the Tausug leader was Sulu Sultan Jainal Abirin II, the Chinese-Maguindanaon leader Datu Gumbay Piang, and Maranao leaders were Datu Busran Kalaw, Salipada Pendatun, Sultan Alonto, Sultan Dimaporo, and many others. Salipada Pendatun's brother-in-law Major Datu Udtug also fought against the Japanse and in Cotabato the focal area of anti-Japanese resistance was Papalungan.

The Moro juramentados performed suicide attacks against Japanese troops, as they had against the Spanish, Americans and Filipinos, but did not ever attack the Chinese since the Chinese were not considered enemies of the Moro people. The Japanese responded to these suicide attacks by massacring all the relatives of the attacker. The Japanese were attacked with bayonets, machine gun, bows, spears, clubs, kris and bolo during the invasion.

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