A civil society alliance called on the Bangsamoro Parliament to put ordinary Bangsamoro people at the heart of its work so that the long-delayed parliamentary self-governance would become “a significant step towards genuine autonomy for the region,” as envisioned in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
“We challenge the newly installed regular Parliament to function as a truly deliberative body that gives voice to the region’s diverse communities and grounds decision-making on solid data and the greater interest of Bangsamoro society, especially those who have long borne the costs of conflict but have yet to enjoy the benefits of the peace process in their daily lives,” Duyog Bangsamoro said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Duyog Bangsamoro is a broad, independent and nonpartisan multisectoral alliance from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), other parts of Mindanao, and national organizations. It was formed in support of the faithful implementation of the CAB and transformative, autonomous governance in the region.
The alliance also welcomed the election of Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua as the Parliament’s first chief minister, saying that he has “consistently affirmed” the importance of substantially fulfilling the CAB as a prerequisite to the signing of an exit agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“We expect that he will work with every member of Parliament, with rightful respect for all voices and the role of the minority, including any opposition bloc within, and with all sectors of the [BARMM] towards that end, while safeguarding the region’s autonomy from undue external influence,” Duyog Bangsamoro said.
The alliance urged the 80-member Parliament to protect and build on the legislative gains already achieved during the transition period, particularly the measures that directly affect the lives of the Bangsamoro people.
Among the measures passed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that Duyog Bangsamoro considers significant are the anti-dynasty and gender quota provisions in the BARMM Electoral Code and Local Governance Code, the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples’ Act, and the Bangsamoro Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Act.
Duyog Bangsamoro also expressed hope that the new Parliament would pursue reforms addressing the “proliferation of guns, gerrymandering, corruption and nepotism, and other pressing regional issues.” It stressed that much remains to be done by both the government and the MILF, especially under the CAB’s normalization track.
According to Duyog Bangsamoro, the MILF has yet to decommission 14,000 combatants and 2,450 firearms, and the government, for its part, has yet to fully deliver on such commitments as socioeconomic support for decommissioned combatants; redeployment of the Philippine military in the region; detection and clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance; disbandment of private armed groups; and passage of national legislation on transitional justice.
Duyog Bangsamoro said the meeting last September between the government and the MILF implementing panels, in which they agreed to accelerate decommissioning and normalization, was “an important step in the right direction.”
But it stressed “the urgency of accomplishing these remaining milestones over the next year,” and said it “recommits to working” with the government, the MILF, and the Bangsamoro Parliament to achieve that goal.—CONTRIBUTED
