Editorial

Stakes in the BOL

        Stakeholders in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, including those in Cotabato City and Isabela City in Basilan province, have spoken through the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law last January 21 that would pave way for the establishment of a new political entity --- the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao --- to replace the ARMM.

        By this time, barring the failure of political exercise, the “yes” and “no” votes to the BOL could have been tallied for stakeholders to know the territories of inclusion under the BARMM. The second plebiscite will be on February 6 in LanaodelNorte, excluding Iligan City, and other areas where there were petitions for BARMM inclusion.

        The January 21 plebiscite was another historical account in our political landscape. The BOL, formerly the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, is a product of peace negotiation(s) between and among the national government, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and stakeholders. The BOL and the BARMM are supposed to end the armed strife in the Bangsamoro homeland so to spur development in the region through a stronger autonomous political entity  with provision of “block grant” for the next 10 years.

        To ensure the peace, another phase would follow, the complete decommissioning of the MILF’s armory and then the civilian stature of the Front. With this in place, MILF territories or camps become civilian communities some of which have been beneficiaries of both government and support donor-country development assistance to keep the peace program at pace and continuing.

        To note, the government and Moro National Liberation Front under NurMisuari had already inked a peace pact in the 1990s with the ARMM as the political arm for governance. The original Front is also a stakeholder in the BOL.

        We have yet to wait the result of the BOL plebiscite in LanaodelNorte and other inclusion areas before the transition Bangsamoro regional government would be established. The regular elections in the BARMM, should it be finally established, will be in 2022 with a parliamentary-democratic form of government, which could be a model for the proposed Federalism.

        Many ask, though, if the BOL and BARMM would finally set lasting peace. There are still armed splintered groups opposing the GRP-MILF peace deal and these peace spoilers continue to create disturbance. It will be a big challenge for the government and MILF to convince these splinter groups  to come to the fold of law so to normalize political and economic affairs in the Bangsamoro region.

        So to speak, we await the series of changes at the aftermath of the BOL plebiscite. PEACE and DEVELOPMENT are the bottom-line here.