MILF: MILF Political committee outside BARMM core territory holds Peace Forum

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Website (Jul 21, 2021): MILF Political committee outside BARMM core territory holds Peace Forum (Nash Acan)

21JULY

In Photo-Participants listen to one of the speaker during peace forum in Magatos, Kabacan, North Cotabato

HITS: 69Kabacan, North Cotabato (July 17, 2021)- In a peace forum organized and attended by members of the political committee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) held at Magatos, Kabacan, Cotabato on July 17, the Bangsamoro people outside the core territory of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Regioln in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), specifically North Cotabato, have convened to express their concerns after the signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), and establishment of the BARMM. Participants were Municipal chairmen of the Political and Information Committees , BIAF, SWC and other line agencies of the MILF. For the BARMM government, the administrator of the Special Geographic Area Mohammad Killie Antao along with the Kabacan cluster coordinator Jabib Guiabar and Staff of Member of the Parliament Mohagher Iqbal headed by the Wahab Guialal were in attendance.

In his opening message, Abdulsamad Katugan asked why are they not included in the BARMM areas, and why are they not included in the development gained from a struggle which they were part of for decades with many lives sacrificed? Though, he urged his fellow Bangsamoro to remain supporting the MILF, otherwise they will be disunited.

Meanwhile, Engr. Abdulbasit Bago, from the office of the Vice Chair for Political Affairs of the MILF said that we have to bear in mind that the BARMM government is not solely for the MILF as spelled out in the BOL. Thus, the moral governance that the BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim is espousing may take time to be in place. Besides, he said that the BARMM is just an autonomy we got thru negotiation and therefore every move is thru negotiation too. Zero poverty, zero corruption and zero criminalities are the main endpoint of the Moral Governance. When in placed, that is the time the areas outside the BARMM could eventually benefit.

In his message, Antao talked some about throwback and updates on the BOL in north Cotabato. He also said that the result of the recent census indicates that some barangays may be clustered to form into municipalities thru legislation. Those Bangsamoro outside the core territories could surely benefit from the spillover of the development taking place in the BARMM.

Also, Guiabar, voiced out some sentiments of the Bangsamoro outside the core territories that they don’t feel the presence of the Bangsamoro government; and queried on the status of the Motion for reconsideration of the barangays in North Cotabato who petitioned for inclusion in the BARMM?

Further, he quoted the late chairman of the MILF Salamat Hashim who said that should autonomy be achieved, it will function well in its 10th year. Thus, he urged everyone to not judge hastily the BARMM for it’s still in its 2nd year. We did not complain to our previous government for so long a time but why this infant government is now subject to criticism, he said. He ended his message by urging the participants to put into writing everything in their minds and convey or submit them to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

For his part, Dats Magon, one of the representatives of MP Iqbal, applauded the program for it serves as a venue for leveling off of issues reverberating the Bangsamoro outside the BARMM. He discussed the stride that the MILF is pushing now. These are; the MILF as the social movement; the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) as the political party and the BARMM as the service provider.

The MILF leadership, he said, is doing everything to fully implement the peaces accord entered with the Philippine government. He continued saying that the extension of the BTA is necessary to fully fulfill the contents of the peace process.

In a phone interview, Ali Eman, the acting director of the information committee for North Cotabato, said that they may conduct another focused group discussion on the concerns raised in the program to exhaustively discuss it and properly forward it to the higher authorities of the MILF or BARMM for action.

In closing of the program, the vice chair of the Political Committee (North Cotabato), Mr. Nasser Mustapha read the manifesto of the group. He said the document will be sent to the concerned ministries and to the BARMM chief minister Ebrahim.

https://www.luwaran.com/news/article/2351/milf-political-committee-outside-barmm-core-territory-holds-peace-forum