Muslims outside BARMM ask Duterte, Congress to extend BTA for 3 years

July 26 ------ Representatives of Muslims outside the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) appealed to Congress and to President Rodrigo Duterte to extend the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) for three more years to achieve lasting peace in the region. “Kami po bilang kasama sa mga religious leader sa NCR, full support po kami. Nanawagan kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na bigyan pagkakaton na kapatid natin na namumuno sa BARMM upang palawigin ang BTA dahil nakikita namin na ang BTA po ay ito po ang susi sa pangmatagalang kapayapaan,” Jalal Jamil of Philippine Khutba and Imam said in a press conference held in Quiapo, Manila.

He, along with the community of religious leaders, back the BTA extension as they see the need for the current members of the transition government to implement and continue what they have started. This was echoed by Dra. Rubina Macabunar of the Mindanao Women Advocacy for Good Governance, who pointed out that BTA members were only given a short period to finish their obligations.

“Katulad ng paggawa ng iba’t-ibang batas mayroong mga natapos, pero hindi pa nai-implement…Sana mapagbigyan tayo na mapa-extend tayo para malaman natin kung ano ang dapat ma-implement ng current members of the parliament,” she said. Representing the youth, Abdul Majeed Unda highlighted the need for the BTA extension to ensure that the youth will no longer join terrorist groups in the region. “Sa kabataan nagsisimula ang ideology ang pag-asa ng isang lugar. Ang ginawa nilang batas na Bangsamaro Youth Commission, isa sa mga malaking bagay nagawa. It will lessen the terrorism in the region,” he said.

He noted that the BTA is still achieving its target to decommission 40,000 armed individuals. So far, the government was able to decommission over 12,000 combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front - Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces. “Kung ang mga BTA members ay ‘di ma-extend there is a possibility na magkaroon ng another war or struggle in the Bangsamoro Region,” Unda said. “Also what the BARMM needs right now is to be stable and be ready for passing it to the new set of members,” he added.

The bill seeking to postpone the first regular elections in the BARMM from 2022 to 2025 was sponsored in the Senate in May. On June 16, BARMM officials headed by interim Chief Minister Al-hajj Murad Ebrahim, elected governors of provinces in the BARMM region, and Congress leaders met Duterte in Malacañang to discuss the proposals to postpone the 2022 BARMM polls. However, no consensus was reached during the meeting.

Malacañang earlier said Duterte would stay neutral and he left it to the lawmakers to decide on the matter after meeting with the contending parties last week. Among the officials opposing the extension of the BTA is Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan. Earlier, he vowed to challenge before the Supreme Court (SC) any legislation that would postpone the BARMM elections slated for next year. The Commission on Elections previously said it is still pushing through with the preparations for the 2022 BARMM polls which will be conducted simultaneously with the 2022 national and local elections.

Source: gmanetwork.com