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By Arjay Balinbin L. Reporter
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) held its first Consultative Assembly Bangsamoro in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao Sunday, July 29, amid efforts to familiarize residents and voters in the Bangsamoro region with the Bangsamoro Organic Bill (BOL) signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last week.
The BOL should be approved in a plebiscite scheduled later in the year. to be the basis for the organization of the said region, under the supervision of MILF leaders and other stakeholders.
"The assembly was to bring together at least 50 (-) 70,000 Bangsamoro, sorting of Baltic or internally displaced (IDP) communities, and settlers from all over the Mindanao region who will decide the fate of the BOL, which, according to MILF leaders, conforms to the global agreement on the Bangsamoro (80% -90%) The president of MILF, Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, said in a TV interview on July 24 that he was "signed by the GPH (Government of the Philippines) and the MILF" confident that "the BOL" would be acceptable to the Moro people "although he pointed out that it is only 80 % to 90% in accordance with the 2014 Peace Agreement with the GPH. "
" We immediately began our consultation. We left the highest level of our organization and the acceptability is quite high because I think that they understand that we are in a negotiation and we expected that we could not get everything that we want, "said the MILF leader. telephone interview, University of the Philippines (UP) -Diliman law professor Antonio GM La Viña said that the first test for the BOL is "is the plebiscite."
"For me, the most important is to win Cotabato City, because I think it is necessary for the viability of Bangsamoro.The city of Isabela de Basilan is not as important that the city of Cotabato.The six municipalities of Lanao del Norte are important sana pero going back yan (would have been important but it would be a climb [campaign]). Kasi it's all (because it's the) Lanao del Norte who has to vote, … the same thing with the barangays of North Cotabato, "said Mr. La Viña
According to the law, Bangsamoro The territory includes all the current member regions of the Muslim Mindanao Autonomous Region (ARMM) such as the towns and municipalities of the provinces of Basilan (with the exception of the city of Isabela), Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.The new law also covers the cities of Isabela in Basilan and Cotabato Island in the mainland of Mindanao, 39 villages in northern Cotabato (officially Cotabato province) and six municipalities in Lanao del Norte such as Baloi, Munai, Pantar, Nunungan, Tagoloan and Tangcal, which will have to vote in a plebiscite for inclusion in the new Autonomous Region.
Asked about the importance of the city of Cotabato, Mr. La Viña said: "Cotabato City, of course, is where the Bangsamoro will be based.It's just strange that your capital is not a member of the Autonomous Region So talagang it would be (it would be really) a defeat if Cotabato City is not (included) .I think the president has to campaign, help them get the "Yes" vote. "
Cotabato City is the regional center of the ARMM, although it is administratively part of the SOCCSKSARGEN region composed of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Saranggani and the city. from General Santos
"Isabela, which is a town in Basilan, is not very important because it is far away … The law says that the ARMM must vote as" The current ARMM – you can expect it to be a "yes." There is no possibility that is a "no." Because mag-isa ang lang Lanao del Sur (vote as one). Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan do not have many people. So voters are in Maguindanao and Lanao (del Norte), "said La Viña.
Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, Mayor of Cotabato, said in an interview with ABS-CBN on July 28:" Kung ano man's yung lalabas sa plebisito ng (Whatever the result of the plebiscite) "yes or no" to Bangsamoro's organic law [will be] we really need to respect it, kaso naniniwala ako (but we believe that) it does not matter anong (how do you) campaign [for it] mo its resident ng (before the inhabitants of) Cotabato City , they have a spirit of theirs "
" I will respect the results of the plebiscite, but if the elections or the plebiscite were held today, they would not win in the city of Cotabato, "she added.
The next challenge, according to Mr. La Viña, is the next election. "Will the MILF win enough seats to leverage other parties and political families in Bangsamoro?" I say in reality that they have a good chance because the provision of the Bangsamoro law requires that people vote for an individual and also for parties, and more seats are reserved for parties, families, I think wala namang (they do not have) political parties. I think the MILF will dominate, so I think it's a challenge to have enough people elected and then to have the alliance there. "
" But the real test for the Bangsamoro is the practice there, when it is implemented.The money will flow? Will the promised budget sink? Will they be able to spend it properly? will he really resist the idea of intervening or influencing it? Kasi (Because) it is true autonomy and the law do not really solve that. So, that's the real test, if they can apply it effectively, "he added.
In an email interview, Michael's lawyer and policy advisor Henry Yusingco said: "A huge challenge for the BBC (Bangsamoro Transition Commission) and the MILF is how to coax the Misuari faction of the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) and the Sulu Sultanates to participate in the formation of the Bangsamoro government. "
He added:" Giving these two groups a role in the BTA (Bangsamoro Transition Authority) could be a welcome initiative, but the question remains whether such an invitation will be accepted. "
" To what extent will they allow these groups to participate in the formation of the Bangsamoro government? To what extent will they allow these groups to exert influence in the transition from the ARMM to the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao)? These are questions that have no clear answer to date because the Misuari party and the Sulu sultanates have not yet expressed an unequivocal position on the BOL. He added that the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process (OPAPP) and even Mr. Duterte "will play a crucial role" (Mr. like) facilitators. "
He said that both" must recognize the hard work done by BTC and the MILF to guide the BOL to its promulgation and their privilege to reap the fruits of their labor. "
" At the same time, these two offices must also take into account the realities on the ground and that is to say that all Moro groups have not participated in the passage of the BOL. And yet, these groups must have their place in the new Bangsamoro government structure. Helping the OLT find its place is the big challenge. "
As to whether the BOL will get enough" yes "in the Bangsamoro areas identified, Mr. Yusingco said:" Towards October of last year, BTC in collaboration with the Institute of Autonomy and Governance (IAG), where I am a comrade, held consensus workshops on the BBL of then in the House of Representatives. These activities intensified at the beginning of this year. Along the way, a real spirit of cooperation and collaboration between BTC, civil society groups in Mindanao, legislators and their staff has become palpable. "
He said that when the BBL was deliberate in the Senate last May, feeling of animosity or anxiety, and all the concerned personalities were eager to work together to achieve the best possible outcome. the HoR, there were some dramas but the consensus established by the workshops was strong and the House finally responded to the call of the President. "
Meanwhile, at the level of the Committee of the bicameral Conference "It was obvious not just the legislators who were doing the work, BTC and the civil society groups were there to support 100%, and I personally believe that the BOL will allow the Bangsamoro to exercise properly. So, by taking all these elements together, I think BTC will have a great chance to convince the Bangsamoro community to vote yes for the BOL, "Yusingco said.
For his part, UP-Diliman, chairman of the Department of Political Science and Professor Maria Ela L. Atienza said in an email that "a major challenge for the MILF is the establishment of a new government Bangsamoro more responsive and effective after the plebiscite and the elections if the legal issues at the Supreme Court level are "
She added," The MILF has to prove that he is able to have good government functioning that will be an improvement over the criticisms of the current ARMM organization and antecedents.This may address pro-IS (Islamic State) militancy in two ways. Moro on the ground, this can diminish the dissatisfaction and mistrust of Moro that often leads them to sympathize and support the IS groups from the outside. "Secondly, the MILF's armed forces and the AFP (Armed Forces of s Philippines) can now prosecute and repress pro-IS militants such as Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF), ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) and others. to hunt foreign fighters. We must remember that many pro-IS groups are splinter groups of the MILF who broke up after each peace process with the failed government. "
An effective and responsive Bangsamoro government," added Ms. Atienza, "can bring"
"Thus, the MILF has an important opportunity to prove itself, to approach slowly but more appropriately the problems in the region and establish a more viable peace in the region. However, this process takes time. Thus, the threats to peace can still continue while the new government is further strengthened and the inability to solve problems and mistrust between sectors, even at the level of perceptions, can lead to new conflicts ", added Ms. Atienza Mr. La Viña, "We have to deal with them because they are the ones who want independence … They will become powerful, more powerful if the Bangsamoro does not work." is so that the MILF has become stronger, because, unfortunately, the agreement with the MNLF on the ARMM did not work. [It was] not the fault of the MNLF, [it was] the government and congressional fault, they did not give them the real autonomy they needed, so they have an excuse for why the ARMM was mismanaged.They did not have the real autonomy. decisions were still made in Manila, in many cases. "[19659005] Also asked to comment, UP-Diliman Assistant Professor of Political Science, Perlita M. Frago-Marasigan, said: "All I can say is that" apart from the difficulties associated with its constitutionality, the majority of the population of the Muslim Mindanao region must also approve the creation of a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, as did its detractors. "
defined by its elite artisans . The Muslim region of Mindanao does not speak with one voice. It should also be ensured that there are no contradictory provisions in the decree and in the federal design envisaged by the government, "added Ms. Marasigan
. La Viña said that there were still objections, even Moro groups, "but a hundred mistakes, a hundred defects and problems in the BOL project when he went to Bicam, he was reduced to about five problems remaining policies. "
"Well, we can never [come up with a] perfect bill or perfect law.it's a contradiction in terms to say [that there is] a perfect law," he also said
Jerome Succor Aba, spokesman for Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of Moro), said in a statement that they believed that Mr. Duterte the Bol "will not help resolve the old conflict. several decades in the Bangsamoro regions, but will strengthen the control of the national government over resources and territories while the Duterte government continues to apply martial law and other repressive measures against the Moro people. "[19659004"TheMILF'sadmissionthatBOLwasnotaperfectlawalsoopensthefloodgatesofdoubtanddisunityamongtheMoropeople-somesaylesswoncomparedtothepreviousagreementoftheARMMwiththeMoroNationalLiberationFront(MNLF)EvenworseDuterte'splanforcharterchangeandfederalismfurtherdividestheMoropeoplebychallengingtheplaceandvalidityofBOLoncefederalismcomesintoplay"saidSuaraBangsamoro"ForthisreasonSuaraBangsamoroismoreinclinedtoencouragetheMoropeoplewhoarefightingforthedefenseoftheirlandsandtheirresourcestheireconomicsocio-politicalandculturalrightsnottolosehopeandwanttocontinuetotofightfortheirrightsthroughapeacenegotiationthatpushespeople'sdemandstheyshouldpresenttheirproposalstotheNDFP(NationalDemocraticFrontofthePhilippines)whichiscurrentlynegotiatingforagreementonsocio-economicreforms"addedMrAba
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