Moro traditional leaders call for passage of original BBL

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 28): Moro traditional leaders call for passage of original BBL

Muslim traditional leaders and Royal ladies of the Bangsamoro representing various sultanates in Mindanao have appealed for Congress to act on the passage of the agreed version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Traditional leaders have gathered Monday at Alnor Convention Center, Cotabato City and came up with a Manifesto calling on congress to immediately pass the agreed version of the BBL submitted by the Office of the President.

“We are now worried, however, by the fact that the document crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and agreed upon by the Office of the President is now substituted with another version – HB 5811 – whose provisions are inconsistent with the CAB,” the manifesto said.

“There are also provisions that will inevitably result to a Bangsamoro government that is even less autonomous than the present ARMM," it further said.

“We want a basic law that will address the legitimate grievances of – and correct the historical injustices committed against – the Bangsamoro,” the manifesto signed by several representatives of sultanates in Mindanao.

The gathering was organized by four local Civil Society Organizations, led by the Moro Women Development and Cultural Center, Inc. (MWDECC) together with Mindanao Action for Peace and Development Initiatives, Inc. (MAPAD); Kadtabanga Foundation for Peace and Development Advocates, Inc. (KFPDAI), and Bangsamoro Center for Justpeace in the Philippines, Inc. (BCJP).

Baina T. Samayatin, MWDECC executive director, said that this is one of the series of activities under the “Popularizing the Peace Process program” that are currently implemented to ensure that the peace process is widely supported by all stakeholders.

Samsodin C. Amella, Executive Director of MAPAD, said that the dialogue was aimed at hearing the views and opinions of the participants on the peace process.

“The participants were composed of various Sultanates such as the Sultanate of Buayan, Sultanate of Kabuntalan, Sultanate of Dikaya, Sultanate of Linatangan Dar us-Salam, Paramount Sultanate of Linantangan Buayan Dar us-Salam, Society of Empowered Royal Ladies in Cotabato Empire, among other principalities in the Bangsamoro core territory, he disclosed.

Copies of the manifesto were already forwarded to the Office of Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Malacanang.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=786844