A technical working group (TWG) is needed to ensure the “smooth” transition of Sulu to the national government following its exit from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said.
OPAPRU Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) has agreed to create a TWG to demonstrate both BARMM and the national government’s commitment to ensure that there are enough funds to provide the needed socioeconomic programs and projects to the people of Sulu.
“This is in line with the President's [Marcos Jr.] commitment to a Bagong Pilipinas that includes a stronger Bangsamoro region where no one will be left behind as the region continues to reach greater heights in peace and development,” he noted.
During a meeting of the IGRB recently, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, who also serves as the IGRB co-chairperson for the national government, emphasized the body's commitment to help facilitate Sulu’s transition.
“Our stand remains the same: We, in the IGRB, will ensure uninterrupted government operations in Sulu amid this transition,” Pangandaman stressed.
In particular, the IGRB directed the TWG to develop a transition plan that outlines the reassignment of employees and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in deposition of offices, with the least disruption to essential services and maintenance of operational continuity, and the financial support mechanism from the National Government to ensure that delivery of services in Sulu are maintained.
The TWG shall also implement ongoing and planned programs, activities, projects for Sulu, and processes and arrangements of revenue collections and fees during transition. It shall also ensure the transfer of ownership of Bangsamoro government-owned assets and properties in Sulu to the appropriate entities after purchased thereof by the national government.
For his part, Mohagher Iqbal, BARMM Education Minister and IGRB co-chairperson for the Bangsamoro Government maintained that “Sulu remains an integral part of the Bangsamoro identity and narrative.”
“It is imperative that our efforts ensure the people of Sulu remain strongly connected to the overarching vision of peace and self-determination,” Iqbal underscored.
Established in 2019, the IGRB is composed of representatives from line agencies and ministries from national and BARMM governments.
The IGRB’s primary mandate is to facilitate closer coordination and resolve key issues between both governments through the conduct of regular consultations and negotiations in a non-adversarial manner.
In September, the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the validity of Republic Act No. 11054 or the 2018 Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which provided for the establishment of BARMM as a political entity and its corresponding basic governmental structure, but it excluded Sulu from the Bangsamoro region after the province rejected the law’s ratification.