Decentralization, Institutional Ambiguity, and Mineral Resource Conflict in Mindanao, Philippines

Based on an analytical framework that builds on theories of incremental institutional change, this article interrogates the relationship between decentralization and mineral resource conflict in the Philippines. Here, efforts to decentralize control over mineral resource wealth have resulted in a highly ambiguous institutional arena, wherein heterogeneous actor coalitions are attempting to influence trajectories of institutional change, and the associated distribution of mineral wealth. On the ground, this institutional renegotiation produces a diverse range of conflicts. Emerging on top of these institutional struggles are local elected politicians, which raises important concerns over elite capture of the decentralization process.