Local execs surprised many volunteers joined BBL consultation

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — More than 50 leaders of non-Muslim upland tribes voluntarily joined Thursday’s consultation on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law in the province, something organizers did not expect.

A popular timuay (chieftain) in Maguindanao’s non-Moro Teduray tribe, Mayor Ramon Piang of North Upi, told reporters Saturday that they appeared at the congressional multi-sectoral dialogue on the draft BBL to show that they are in favor of the bill.

“We, non-Moro ethnic Tedurays, shall also benefit from that proposed law once approved by Congress," said Piang, a Roman Catholic and a principal of a Christian school before he joined politics.

The BBL public hearing on Thursday at the municipal gymnasium in Buluan, capital of Maguindanao, was presided over by members of the House of Representatives, among them former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Rep. Ruby Sahali of Tawi-Tawi.

The activity was hosted by Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, a staunch supporter of the current peace overture between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Senior Superintendent Agustin Tello of the Maguindanao provincial police placed at no fewer than 8,000 his estimate of the Muslim, Christian and Lumad residents who joined the BBL consultation.

“We did not expect the attendance turnout to be that great. All communities in Maguindanao were represented during the consultation. We also did not expect a big number of representatives from the indigenous non-Muslim communities would join the activity. Thanks to all of them,” Mangudadatu said on Saturday.

Representatives from Maguindanao’s Teduray-Lambingian community were also present in the gathering.

Piang, whose office has jurisdiction over more than 20 predominantly Teduray barangays in North Upi, said he and his constituents supports the peace initiatives of the Maguindanao provincial government.

He said they are also for the implementation in “letter and spirit” of all accords reached by the government and the MILF.

“We in our municipality and our incumbent provincial leaders share the same visions of peace, a kind of peace that encompasses Muslims and non-Muslims,” Piang said.

Congress is now deliberating on the BBL bill, drafted bilaterally by representatives of the government and the MILF, a product of 18 years of peace talks.

Mangudadatu, the members of the provincial board and municipal executives in all of Maguindanao’s 36 towns and their constituent-barangay captains have been vocal in expressing support for the proposed BBL.

The draft BBL is the enabling measure for the implementation of two compacts between the government and the MILF --- the 2013 Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro and, subsequently, the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro.

Mangudadatu and the 36-member provincial league of mayors reiterated their support to the peace initiatives of the MILF and the Duterte administration during the congressional hearing in Buluan on Thursday.

Mangudadatu said provinces and cities outside of the proposed Moro core territory, particularly those in Visayas and Luzon, stand to benefit too from a lasting peace in southern Philippines.

“We support all peaceful means of putting an end to the Moro problem that have been lingering since we were children,” Mangudadatu told reporters at the sideline of the BBL consultation on Thursday.

The BBL, if approved by Congress and ratified via a plebiscite, will pave the way for the replacement of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with an MILF-led Bangsamoro regional entity.

“We look forward to that transition, from the present ARMM to an upcoming Bangsamoro entity,” Mangudadatu said.