The Bangsamoro region is allowed under the law to directly engage with
foreign investors and other nations with diplomatic ties with the Philippines,
its interim chief minister said Tuesday.
Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, who also heads the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,
made the remark after the outburst of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro
Locsin Jr. on social media following the former's meeting with diplomats in
Turkey last month.
Locsin had planned to file a diplomatic protest over the matter but did not
push through.
Philippines 'aborts' filing of diplomatic protest vs Turkey over BARMM engagement
Ebrahim said his trip to Ankara from Dec. 11 to 16 was official and he obtained
permission from the Office of the President.
"Under the BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law), there are provisions allowing us
to directly engage with foreign investors and countries with diplomatic
relations with the Philippines," he told ANC's Early Edition.
"There is no provision in the BOL wherein...after we (secure a) travel permit with the
Office of the President, there is no provision we will still need the permission from
the foreign ministry."
Ebrahim said he was "surprised" by Locsin's remark because the Turkish
ambassadorin Manila had said she sent a note verbale to the Department
of Foreign Affairs.
"I did not think that will happen because the fact that I met with the consul general in
Ankara shows that there’s a coordination with the foreign ministry," he said.
Embrahim said he thanked the Turkish government for its continuing assistance to
the region and for being "very helpful in the peace process."
He added that he had informed the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace
Process about the issue, as it also heads the Intergovernmental Relations Body,
which handles Bangsamoro's relations with the national government.
The region, meantime, secured some P4.153 billion investment from Malaysia,
China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, among others in 2019, according to
Ebrahim.
It is allotted P65.2 billion in the 2020 national budget, Ebrahim said, and will
focus on funding education, medical and health services, social services and
"strategic" infrastructure to "catch up" with other regions.
Some 3,000 opportunities are available on the Bangsamoro job portal, he added.
"We are really working very hard because as long as the budget will be downloaded
to us immediately then we have no reason to be delayed in our program," he said.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/07/20/bangsamoro-allowed-to-directly-engage-
with-other-nations-interim-chief
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