The Bangsamoro is for all, says GPH legal rep

A member of the government’s legal team stressed that Mindanao’s pursuit of peace is not simply a Moro agenda, but called for everyone to stake their claim in the process for it to succeed.

“Ang usapin ng Bangsamoro ay hindi lang para sa Bangsamoro. Ito ay usapin din ng mga taga-Luzon, ng mga taga-Visayas (The discussion on the Bangsamoro is not for the Bangsamoro alone. It is also a discussion for those in Luzon and in Visayas),” said Atty. Mohammad Al-Amin Julkipli at the Bangsamoro Peace Festival held at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. Around 400 university students from across Cebu were in attendance.

The theme of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Julkipli said, is very meaningful. “Kaya nga (that is why) ‘Nagkakaisang bayan para sa kapayapaan'—because it calls for greater cooperation from all stakeholders."

Julkipli invited all those in attendance to “become partners in the peace process.” “Participate in scrutinizing the law to improve it,” he said.

The Bangsamoro Peace Festival was spearheaded by the 2014 graduates of the Academy of Political Management (APM), a leadership training course funded by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). The event sought to engage youth groups in a dialogue on the proposed BBL, as well as to showcase Bangsamoro history and culture. It coincided with ongoing public consultations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) by both Houses of Congress in different parts of the country.

Speaking on behalf of the APM graduates, event program manager Tasneem Abdulrauf noted the importance of making the proposed BBL a national conversation “as it is a law anchored on the goal to bring peace and progress in the country for all Filipinos.”

Abdulrauf also stressed the need for open-mindedness in analysing the substance and spirit of the proposed law. “While there are fears for moves to change the status quo, let us seek to understand how these changes will be beneficial to us; how it is for the common good and for our collective future.”

Fellow APM alumnus Garie Rigor emphasized on creating avenues for dialogues for better understanding of issues affecting the country. “As progressives, we as APM alumni believe that Filipinos all around the country are stakeholders in the success of the peace and development efforts in Mindanao,” Rigor added.

The FES, in a statement, noted that the essence of the Bangsamoro Peace Festival is to inculcate “the crucial value of openness that can further our enthusiasm to be inclusive—in this context, that an all-inclusive Bangsamoro is possible.” “Let us not confuse, but rather be clear and proud of our intention to recognize the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people. There is no other time to show our utmost support for the Bangsamoro and the peace process, but now.” (OPAPP)