Local
officials and legal experts in Zamboanga
City
The
statement comes despite support from the world for the efforts of the
Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in ending
the Moro problem in southern Philippines
Lawyer Vic
Solis said there are provisions in the core territory of the draft BBL that may
soon find its way for the inclusion of the city.
He said
under the draft BBL, Zamboanga City , which opted out in two referenda on the
autonomous region in Mindanao , was not
included. However, Solis said that it was explicit in the draft BBL under
Sections 2 and 3 of Article III that it takes at least 10 percent of the
registered voters on areas contiguous and outside of the territory to subject
them to participate in the plebiscite.
He said the
territorial waters 12 nautical miles under the proposed BBL will also overlap
with the municipal waters of the other non-Bangsamoro areas, which under the
national law provides 15 kilometers of municipal waters.
Solis
called on the House representatives of the city to be vigilant on the passage
of the draft.
“We have to
be vigilant regardless of our party affiliation,” Solis said over a local radio
here.
Mayor Ma.
Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has directed the city legal office to study the BBL
and called her constituents to have “a responsible informed conscience by
studying the implications of the BBL in its presentation.”
Salazar
said the city stands united with its two district representatives Reps. Celso
Lobregat and Lilia Nuño to ensure that its 98 barangays will not be fragmented.
“We will never
allow them to take the city just because of this 10 percent petition. We
appealed that we Christians, Muslims and lumads should really be united in our
aspirations to keep Zamboanga under one flag, one nation and one Republic of
the Philippines
Days after
Congress received the draft BBL, social media is still abuzz with statements of
support from the world stage.
Among those
who expressed their support were diplomats from the international community who
took to Twitter in expressing their admiration of the sincerity of the
Philippine government and the MILF, which earlier signed a landmark peace
agreement.
United
States (US) Ambassador to the Philippines Philip S. Goldberg said that the US US government] welcomes the BBL submission to
Congress, [and will] continue to support peace and stability in Mindanao ,” he said.
Bill
Twedell, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines ,
tweeted: “Australia is
committed to supporting the pursuit for peace in Mindanao
and welcomes mutually acceptable Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress.”
In a
statement from its embassy in Manila ,
Switzerland
“This and
the pending substantive debate on the bill are important steps in the process
aimed at achieving lasting peace and long-term prosperity in Mindanao,” he
said. The message was also posted on the official Twitter account of the
Canadian Embassy in the Philippines
“The
diligent efforts of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and the Office of the
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process continue to bring new hope for an era
of opportunity for the people of Mindanao, the people of the Philippines and
partners in the surrounding region,” Reeder said.
“Together
with the international community, Canada
President
Benigno S. Aquino III transmitted the draft BBL to Congress on Wednesday in
Malacañang. Speaker of the House of Representatives Feliciano Belmonte Jr. led
lawmakers Thursday in filing the draft in Congress. The draft law is now known
as House Bill 4994.
The foreign
leaders also described the submission of the BBL as a crucial achievement in
ensuring peace.
The
Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre) said they
congratulate the Philippine government and the MILF, as well as the Bangsamoro
Transition Commission (BTC) “for reaching another major milestone in the Mindanao peace process with the formal
submission."
The HD
Centre is part of the International Contact Group, the third-party monitoring
group for the peace negation of the Philippine government and the MILF. The HD
Centre had been assisting the parties to reach a mutually acceptable draft
bill.
United
Kingdom-based International Alert said it “fully supports the Bangsamoro Basic
Law bill and encourages the Philippine Congress to swiftly ensure its passage
into law.”
“We have
received a gift of peace that can fulfill the genuine aspirations of the
Bangsamoro and enable families and communities to start life anew in an
atmosphere of certainty, stability, and security. Let us make good use of
it,” it said.
“We call
upon Congress to move quickly and enact a law that can facilitate the
transition from violent conflict to a lasting peace. The same spirit that moved
the GPH and MILF panels to arrive at a peace agreement should prevail among
congressmen and senators in the legislation of this new law. The grant of full
and genuine autonomy to the Bangsamoro must be upheld,” it said.
“We agree
that the bill should be scrutinized according to the principles of sovereignty
and constitutionality. Yet we also believe that this framework is inadequate
and should not be used as an excuse to reject the law. We also need to view the
Bangsamoro with a lens focused on justice, inclusivity, and prosperity. These
are the desires of the Bangsamoro people, and they have waited long enough.”
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1207-zamboanga-city-govt-vows-vigilance-over-possible-inclusion-in-bangsamoro
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