ZAMBOANGA CITY- Bangsamoro Peace Advocates Core group in Zamboanga City held their regular meeting in this city, Sunday to assess the current situation, and issues of Bangsamoro residing outside the core areas of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The participants shared their respective assessments in order to come up with feasible action plan on how to help the BARMM in its programs particularly on the issue of Bangsamoro people residing outside the BARMM.
In the interest of justice and equity, peace advocate groups in this city are consistently asserting their rights, reminding both national government and BARMM Regional Government of their obligations toward the welfare of the Bangsamoro residing outside the BARMM, as provided in Intergovernmental Relations under Article VI. Section 12 In Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) or R.A 11054.
Mr. Tirso Tahir, Officer from Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) provided updates on BARMM, and other related issues, while Mr. Zulfhikar Samsaraji, Regional Coordinator for Western Mindanao of United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD) also shared valuable assessments and inputs regarding the common concerns, and expectations of Bangsamoro People on BARMM before and after it inception.
Ustadh Taha Daranda from Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society Organization (CBCS), and senior officer of Southern Islamic Action for Peace and Harmony Network (SIAPAHAN) facilitated the meeting, and also shared his personal perspective.
With regards to our rights, We, the Bangsamoro people residing outside the BARMM are protected and guaranteed by both Philippines Constitution and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in exercising our Civil, Political and other rights with no one can abridge those rights, Ustadh Daranda said.
He further said that the office of the Majority Floor Leader MP Atty. Lanang Ali Jr. has been conducting series of consultations on proposed bills in different areas outside the BARMM, at the same time giving updates about the activities of Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to Bangsamoro Communities outside Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BCOBAR)
Hadji Abidin Abdulsalam, also Senior Officer of SIAPAHAN commented that Bangsamoro people who opposed the BOL in the past, including migrant settlers will shift their support to BARMM once the social services of BARMM are truly felt by the people in the grassroots level.
Brother Dan, Provincial Director of the MILF Committee on Information also shared his views about the plight of Bangsamoro people residing outside of the core territory, and appealed to his fellow Bangsamoro to be more patient, instead support the BARMM during this crucial transition period.
Under the principle of shared responsibility, the group also discussed the reorganizational of United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the Official Political Party of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to ensure that the gains of peace agreement is sustained for the betterment of all Bangsamoro people.
During the open forum, Tahir clarified some important issues raised by the participants, and encouraged them to be more assertive in exercising their rights in accordance with laws as provided in BOL, and to support the BARMM Governance as well.