‘Reconsider Sulu removal from BARMM’

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — A deputy speaker of the Bangsamoro parliament has urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision to exclude Sulu from the core territory of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM.

Deputy speaker Nabil Tan said the High Court should take into account the “operative fact” that Sulu has been part of BARMM since its inception five years ago.

“I politely appeal to the Supreme Court to think about the implications of such a decision,” Tan told reporters yesterday.

The Court ruled favorably on the petition of his elder brother, Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, to exclude the province from BARMM since its residents voted against inclusion into the region’s territory during a plebiscite in 2019.

The creation of BARMM – a product of 22 years of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front – was premised on the 2012 Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro and the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro.

According to the deputy speaker, the exclusion poses serious implications in Sulu, including fiscal problems that can stifle governance and development initiatives in the province.

“Legal theories abound on the question of who is now responsible for Sulu. Lack of clarification allows government branches, offices, agencies and local government units to evade accountability. To me, this invites greater instability in governance,” Tan said.

Muslimin Sema, BARMM labor and employment minister, said the Moro National Liberation Front is planning to embark on a signature campaign to manifest their opposition to the ruling.

“We can’t stop our members from signing an appeal to the Supreme Court to reconsider that ruling. They felt sad because the creation of the ARMM that, in essence, eventually became BARMM was paid for dearly… paid for with blood, sweat and tears of the Moro guerillas who fought for it for about three decades,” Sema said.

Transition fund proposed

Senate majority leader Francis Tolentino proposed the creation of a transition fund for Sulu following its separation, pitching the idea to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) during its budget deliberations at the Senate on Thursday.

“Let your creative juices out of your mind to perhaps create a Sulu transition fund for every agency and department, especially because these would be affected by the Supreme Court decision separating Sulu from BARMM,” Tolentino said.

He expressed concern that the sudden separation of Sulu would disrupt government transactions and the delivery of services, adding that a transition fund could help the province in its anticipated transfer to Region IX or Zamboanga Peninsula.

“You have regional officers in Region IX, and perhaps Sulu will be transferred there. What happens now to Sulu? Is it possible to carve out something from your budget allocation to form a Sulu fund? This could come from a small share from each agency, but if pooled, this transition fund could be substantial enough,” Tolentino said.

DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said he has coordinated with his BARMM interior ministry counterpart to retain the status quo while the department solves its “dilemma on how to get these funds.”

Department of Budget and Management bureau director Carlos Castro said a comment is being prepared to set up a “funding mechanism” for Sulu that would cover salaries, government assistance and a transition fund.

The Commission on Elections has assured that the historic first BARMM parliamentary elections would still push through next year at the same time with the national and local elections.

But the poll body would still study on what to do with the seven parliamentary seats reserved for Sulu that would be left vacant. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab