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(SDN) March 23, 2024 — There’s been a debate on whether the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) should be allowed to participate in the annual Philippines Hajj operation, which is a monopoly today of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).
The NCMF was created through Republic Act No. 9997; while the BARMM exists since January 2019 because of Republic Act No. 11054, the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which has its own Bangsamoro Pilgrimage Authority (BPA).
Watch Video footage of statement: https://youtu.be/r2iyYLP-4SE?si=4jOYmIbWDEUWLtge
But so far, the BARMM-BPA participation in the Hajj operation is still under a protracted discussion in the Inter-Govermental Relations Body (IGRB), co-chaired by the National Government and the Bangsamoro Regional Government. As of this date, March 23, the BARMM participation in the Hajj operation is still just part of the IGRB agenda.
In of his speeches, IGRB Co-Chair Mohagher M. Iqbal, also chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panel, he pointed out the BARMM participation in Hajj operation is one of the important topics in the IGRB agenda that has not yet been resolved.
Is the BARMM slow in taking advantage of its Charter as far as Hajj operation is concerned? Or, are there forces determined to block the Bangsamoro’s BPA?
But as Rep. Mohammad Khalid Dimaporo of the 1st Distric of Lanao del Norte points, the BARMM has the mandate to do so. He knows where he comes from: he is one of the principal authors of the BOL.
In one of the IGRB meetings, perhaps that was last year, NCMF delegates already agreed. But later a Malacañang official issued a statement that being a national entity, the NCMF has the sole authority.
President Bongbong Marcos’ Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued a “guideline’ on April 3, 2023. He said the NCMF “shall remain to be officially recognized as the sole government agency in charge of hajj matters in the country. The Palace official pointed out that this is because the Commission holds jurisdiction over local and national affairs that involve Muslim Filipinos.
On the other hand, the Bangsamoro government’s BPA is “responsible for the processing of appications of pilgrims within the BARMM. And these applications have to be endorsed to the NCMF (Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Mardomel Celo Melicor quoted Bersamin’s statement.
Aside from other hindrances, if the BARMM wants to pursue this on its own, independent of the NCMF, there’s the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia to contain with.
Meanwhile, we have to see how the BARMM wriggle itself out of this predicament. It seems like a situation that defies the devil and the deep blue sea.
So, what’s the BARMM is waiting for? (EKU) — ◇♡♤♧