DAVAO CITY – The former chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has vowed to bridge the gap as a result of the exclusion of Sulu province from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
IQBAL (BARMM photo)
On September 9, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) but ruled that Sulu is not part of BARMM after the province voted against the law’s ratification in 2019.
Mohagher Iqbal, now chief of the BARMM Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), admitted that he could not truly feel victorious following the Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of the BOL.
Iqbal added that the exclusion of Sulu would also mean that those who voted for the inclusion of their province into BARMM would be left behind.
“What is Sulu to us? Sulu is the home of our brave Tausug brethren who fought alongside us in our pursuit for justice and the right to self-determination. It is for this reason that we cannot afford to let them face this battle alone and leave them in the dark,” he said.
Iqbal steered the MILF negotiating panel with the government from 2003 until the signing of the final peace accord in 2014.
The landmark ruling earned mixed reactions from several Muslim leaders in the region.
Many of them lauded the High Court’s decision but all of them were apparently dismayed by the exclusion of Sulu.
BARMM spokesperson Mohd Asnin Pendatun admitted that there would be some implications on the exclusion of Sulu but vowed that the Bangsamoro government will not abrupt disruption of government services in the province.
Pendatun clarified that the Bangsamoro government will ensure a smooth transition in government services and operations.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) also lauded the decision.
In a statement on Thursday, September 12, OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez said the decision strengthens the Bangsamoro people’s decades-long struggle for self-determination and genuine autonomy in their homeland.
“In light of this decision, the national government stands in full support of the BARMM leadership headed by Chief Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, as it navigates the implications of this ruling and continues to uphold its mandate of serving the Bangsamoro people,” added Galvez.
Galvez appealed to the people of the Bangsamoro region “to embrace this Supreme Court ruling with the positive outlook as a testament to the strength of the rule of law and democracy in our country.”
Iqbal said that the separation of Sulu from the core territory of BARRM is painful but it will be ephemeral. “As your brother in Islam, we will do everything and take all positive steps to bridge the gap brought about by the decision and Insha Allah, we will not let you down.”
The exclusion leaves the region with the provinces of Basilan, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi.