Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

House Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong is devastated over the Supreme Court's (SC) decision to exclude Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). 

Adiong said he received the news with "profound sadness". He also warned about the possible implications of Sulu's severance from BARMM. 

"While we respect the decision of the [SC], the loss of Sulu leaves a deep void in the Bangsamoro homeland," the Mindanao lawmaker said in a statement Monday night, Sept. 9. 

"These are political tremors that endanger the very foundation of a unified Bangsamoro. With the departure of Sulu, the remaining provinces must now ask themselves whether the door has been opened for their own departure," he said. 

"The cracks in this grand experiment in autonomy may undo the decades of effort that brought us to this point. We may all find ourselves back in square one," said Adiong, a member of the "Young Guns" bloc in the House of Representatives. 

"Sulu has been a foundational part of the autonomous experiment in our region. Alongside Lanao del Sur, Sulu was one of the original provinces that formed the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), embodying the aspirations of our people for self-governance, peace, and development," he said, referring to the precursor to the BARMM. 

Adiong said: "We in Lanao del Sur understood that the former ARMM voted as one—transitioning into the BARMM as a united front, not as separate provinces." 

"The plebiscite question posed to the core areas, including Sulu, was clear: 'Payag ba kayo na pagtibayin ang Batas Republika Blg. 11054 na kilala din bilang 'Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao'?'" 

(Are you willing to implement Republic Act No.11054 also know as the 'Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao'?) 

He said it was "a choice for or against the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), not a question of inclusion or exclusion". 

"Sulu and its people have always been central to the cause for autonomy. It was their bravery that ignited the fire that would ultimately forge the BARMM. The struggles and sacrifices of the TausÅ«g have laid the groundwork for the freedoms we now enjoy. Their unwavering commitment to our shared dream of autonomy and peace is deeply ingrained in the history of the Bangsamoro," Adiong further said. 

"In this time of difficulty, we call upon our brothers and sisters in Sulu and throughout the Bangsamoro to remain steadfast, to remember our shared vision of peace, and to continue advocating for what is best for all Bangsamoro," he said. 

The ranking solon added: "We hold close the hope that our shared history, struggles, and aspirations will continue to bind us together, even in the face of this separation. We will continue to work toward a future where all Bangsamoro people can prosper and thrive in unity."