Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman (PPAB)

House Deputy Minority Leader Basilan lone Rep. Mujiv Hataman is pushing the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to secure the funds needed to finance the provincial government’s operations, including essential services to the people.

Hataman made the call after the Supreme Court (SC) declared as final the exclusion of Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“Hindi maaaring maantala ang mga serbisyong ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Sulu. Nananawagan ako sa DBM at iba pang ahensya na tiyakin ang pondo para sa lalawigan. Karapatan ito ng bawat mamamayan sa Sulu mula sa national government,” Hataman, a former governor of the now-defunct ARMM, said.

(The services of the local government of sulu must not get delayed. I call on the DBM and other agencies to ensure funding for the province.)

The SC recently decided on several motions for reconsideration on its exclusion of Sulu from BARMM, a decision that has become final and executory.

Hataman pointed out that Sulu’s exclusion from BARMM entails a direct responsibility for the national government to provide for its funding. 

During the second hearing on the proposal to reset the BARMM elections from 2025 to May 2026, Hataman told the DBM to find a way to provide funding for Sulu. The amount needed is roughly P9 billion based on data coming from BARMM officials.

Hataman said that the target budget deficit for 2025 was roughly P1.53 trillion. Securing P9 billion for Sulu would be a challenge for the national government, he noted.

Since the SC decision to exclude Sulu from the region came only recently, there was no money set aside for the province under the P6.352-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or national budget for 2025. The GAB is expected to be signed by President Marcos next month.

One solution, Hataman explains, is to ask the leadership of the House of Representatives to include a special provision on the block grant to BARMM for the regional government to continue providing funding for Sulu despite its exclusion during the bicam deliberations on the national budget.

“Ang mga serbisyong pangkalusugan, pang-edukasyon at pangkabuhayan ay dapat magpatuloy nang walang pagkaantala. Kasama na ang pa-sweldo sa mga kawani ng lokal na pamahalaan,” Hataman said.

(The services on health, education, and livelihood must continue with no delay. This includes the salaries of local government workers.)

The former deputy speaker also urged the national government to involve local officials in determining the immediate priorities for Sulu. 

“Dapat ay mag-usap na ang national at provincial government kung paano sosolusyunan ang problemang ito. Sana ay magkaroon ng plano ang gobyerno para siguruhin ang kapakanan ng mga taga-Sulu dahil walang pondo ang lalawigan sa 2025 proposed national budget,” the said. 

(The national and provincial government must talk now on how to solve this problem. Hopefully the government comes up with a plan to look after the welfare of Sulu residents because the province is unfunded under the 2025 proposed national budget.)