Office of Presidential Peace Adviser welcomes SC’s decision to exclude Sulu from BARMM
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to exclude Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“This decision represents a resounding validation of the Bangsamoro people's aspirations for self-governance and self-determination, which they have pursued over the years with utmost determination, commitment, and dignity,” Presidential Adviser on Peace Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement.
“The Supreme Court’s recognition of the constitutionality of the parliamentary system of governance of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) further solidifies the region’s right to chart its political and economic future. More importantly, It empowers the Bangsamoro people to govern themselves in a way that respects, honors, and gives recognition to their rich history, ancestry, and cultural heritage,” he added.
Galvez said that the national government “stands in full support of the BARMM leadership headed by Chief Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, as it navigates the implications of this ruling and continues to uphold its mandate of serving the Bangsamoro people”.
He also urged the Bangsamoro people to accept the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“We call on our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters to embrace this Supreme Court ruling with the positive outlook as a testament to the strength of the rule of law and democracy in our country,” he said.
The Supreme Court ruled not to include Sulu in BARMM since it did not vote in favor of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in a plebiscite, making it part of the Zamboanga Peninsula.
In a statement released Wednesday, Ebrahim said they would study the Supreme Court’s decision to explore the legal measures they can take.
“We will carefully study the Supreme Court's decision on Sulu's exclusion with the commitment to explore all avenues to hold fast to the dream of a united Bangsamoro as well as ensure that the commitments enshrined in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro will be fully realized,” Ebrahim said.
Ebrahim said they are “deeply concerned” that Sulu was not considered part of BARMM.
“While we are pleased with these significant victories, we are deeply concerned over the exclusion of the Province of Sulu from BARMM,” he said.
“Sulu is not only an essential component of the Bangsamoro by virtue of law but also by its deep historical and cultural ties to the Bangsamoro identity and struggle. The Bangsamoro will never be the same without Sulu and its people,” he added.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier announced that the 2025 parliamentary elections in BARMM would continue despite the high court’s decision, resulting in moving the filing of certificates of candidacy to November 4 to 9.
Meanwhile, the filing of certificates of candidacy for local positions in BARMM was still from October 1 to 8.
Bangsamoro spokesperson and BARMM Cabinet Secretary Mohd Asnin Pendatun previously said the polls will continue unless Congress passes a law to postpone it.
“The election, as we speak now, is as is. It will only be extended or postponed if Congress passes a law,” Asin said.
“In its absence, we are working on the framework that the first parliamentary poll will continue in 2025,” he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
