Short link: https://wp.me/paaccn-Ho5
MANILA (SDN) — That’s, in my unschooled mind, a Greek-like tragedy for the BARMM, losing one of its gems, one of its provincial territories!
Of course, BARMM is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, established out of the rivers of blood and tears of Moro revolutionaries of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as they separately fought for Bangsamoro right to self-determination.
It was then fleshed out by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) enacted in 2018 to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which the MILF forged with the Government of the Philippines (GPH).
The island of Sulu that’s floating in a sea of vast resources and opportunities, has been one of the BARMM’s component areas, the island that’s the seat of the historic Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo.
Before the Supreme Court rendered its BARMM-busting decision, Sulu has been a recipient of several 10’s of millions worth of projects in pesos. At one time, the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), one of the BARMM’s 15 primary ministries and headed by Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal), in 2023 brought and delivered around Php70 million worth of IT equipment and other school- and livelihood-related tools, devices and supplies to the province of Sulu alone, with LGU and school beneficiaries including Patikul, the once dreaded Abu Sayyaf Group’s sanctuary (at least in its mountains).
SDN – SciTech & Digital News was there as eyewitness because it covered the visit. From Sulu, Minister Iqbal’s high-powere delegation then proceeded a few days later to Tawi-Tawi to deliver IT equipment and other school-related supplies.
During the MBHTE visit, Minister Iqbal along with Sulu LGU executives inaugurated and open for business new school buildings, with other school building projects breaking ground.
A highlight of the visit was the meeting between Iqbal and Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan in the latter’s office at the shiny white-painted Provincial Capitol Building, during which they spoke of many plans for the province.
For sure, some more projects are presently being constructed in Sulu (what will happen to them now). What happens to the schools in Sulu that only now have seen an abundance of attention from the BARMM Government under Chief Minister Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim; which was so much unlike in the 20 years of life of the defunct ARMM?
Would it be necessary and legal to stop BARMM-funded projects now that Sulu was declared out of the BARMM territory?
This Supreme Court decision that gives space to “opting out” (as former Interior Minister Naguib Sinarimbo pointed out) of the BARMM may may run like a Greek tragedy — long and woeful — that could unravel the Bangsamoro region.
Is the High Court’s decision final and executory, or still appealable?
What if every province, city, the SGA opts out?
On the other hand, would Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City, Lamitan City, Marawi City, and the Special Geographic Area (SGA) have the strength and will to try to opt out and forego 10’s of millions of pesos of potential economic and development projects in the future, which today are being enjoyed by the said Bangsamoro component areas?
Is there an “opt out” as well for the projects already completed in Sulu, meaning, funds paid back or reimbursed to BARMM by the provincial government?
What about ongoing projects? Should they continue, despite the Supreme Court decision removing Sulu from the BARMM?
SDN – SciTech & Digital News doubts for sure if all the mayors of Sulu municipalities are happy and welcoming of the Supreme Court decision, they may not have the funds to finance all the development projects they want.
What about the legal minds of the BARMM, the Ministry of the Interior and the Local Government (MILG), the Office of the Bangsamoro Attorney General, are they going to challenge the decision of the Supreme Court, what are the legal ways to do it?
This is a problem that may need the wisdom of a King Solomon!
Is there a win-win solution?
We can only hope there is a win-win solution, especially that the inaugural Bangsamoro parliamentary political exercise is approaching in May 2025.
Remember, too, that Governor Tan had even said in the past that Sulu and its people are “not Bangsamoro”.
But he later, apparently, accepted the fact that Sulu is part of the Bangsamoro region and Tausugs are Bangsamoro because he had already declared himself a candidate in the parliamentary election and he is targeting the post of Chief Minister.
His provincial Salam Party had also formed an alliance with three regional parties (Bangsamoro Grand Coalition or BGC), which is going to go against the MILF’s political arm, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) led by its president, Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim.
One can only surmised that the BARMM Government in its entirety was caught by surprise by the High Court’s decision, that none had the inkling that something that may shake the BARMM’s foundation to its core was forthcoming.
This is shown by the fact that Chief Minister Ebrahim and other UBJP stalwarts were in Sulu last week to declare their party’s candidates for next year’s political exercise.
What happens now to all things that passed already? (♤)
_________
To be updated