Ashkenaz, you raise some good points, although I'm not sure how we would test your theory. It's possible that the kampilan was used in the past by members of the Sulu groups, and subsequently rejected. Spanish colonial records might offer some clue, but these are few and far between when it comes to Moro weapons. What we do know is that among the Bangsa Moro the kampilan has been used (almost) exclusively by the Maranao and Maguindanao groups for the last 120 years. Earlier than that we are pretty much guessing.
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