BARMM official confident Robredo can implement reforms under Organic Law

COTABATO CITY—Vice President Leni Robredo is well equipped to implement the reforms under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) that established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, a BARMM official said Wednesday.

BARMM Interior Minister Naguib Sinarimbo made the pronouncement after Robredo met with BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim.

"Gamay po niya ang peace agreement [between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front] at ang Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) dahil miyembro po siya ng Congress nung na-take up ang BOL," Sinarimbo told reporters here.

(She is knowledgeable about the peace agreement and the BOL because she was a member of Congress when it was taken up.)

"Substantial po ang knowledge niya para maging kampante tayo na kaya niyang itulak ang implementation ng peace agreement," he added of Robredo, who is a lawyer and one of the authors of the Bangsamoro Organic law when she was a member of 16th Congress as Camarines Sur representative.

(She has substantial knowledge that's why we are confident that she will be able to implement the peace agreement.)

The BOL was a product of the peace agreement between the government and the former separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) inked in 2014.

The ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in February 2019 via a plebiscite paved the way for the creation of the BARMM and abolished the old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The creation of BARMM,  which includes Cotabato City, 63 barangays in the municipalities of  Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pigkawayan and Pikit in North Cotabato, Sulu except Isabela City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Tawi-Tawi, granted the region expanded land and water jurisdiction, fiscal autonomy, increased share in national government resources, among others.

Sinarimba, however, clarified that the Bangsamoro government leadership is not endorsing a presidential candidate so far.

Of the 10 presidential candidates, only Robredo and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno have met with the BARMM leadership at this point.

"The standing policy of the regional government is to welcome all candidates, hear their platform of government, analyze their positions on issues critical to Bangsamoro," he said.

"After that, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party which is the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro government will decide sino ba ang karapat-dapat na maging pangulo (who deserves to be president)," he added.

BARMM Minister for Basic, Higher and Technical Education Mohagher Iqbal echoed Sinarimbo that the Bangsamoro government leadership is still evaluating the presidential candidates.

"Sentro po ng aming gustong marinig sa kanila 'yung plataporma po nila tungkol sa BARMM, tungkol sa Moro issue, at saka tungkol din sa how to preserve and promote the gains of the peace process," Iqbal told reporters.

(We really want to hear their platform for the BARMM, Moro issues, and how to preserve and promote the gains of the peace process.)

President Rodrigo Duterte postponed the BARMM polls to May 2025 to give the new officials more time to achieve its goals easing to transition to the new government, including the normalization aspect which is the turning over of arms.

"We still have a normalization process and three years is too short (to finish it). It is good that President Duterte and Congress heeded our call," Iqbal, the MILF peace panel chair, added.

Robredo, for her part, said her visit is to congratulate the Bangsamoro government leaders for their gains under the new region so far and that she has always pushed for assistance for the region as evidenced by the office's anti-poverty program Angat Buhay allocating bulk of its assistance here as a way towards peace.

"Everytime there is an opportunity, I pay a visit here because I was a co-author of [then] Bangsamoro Basic Law and I have always believed that lasting peace should be achieved here. We have many projects in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi. Kumbaga, iyong mga ipinaglalaban, hindi lang ito pinaglalaban ngayon lang na kandidato kami, pero noon na nakikipaglaban pa as member of Congress, as Vice President, kabahagi na kami," she said.

"This (visit) is our way of congratulating them for what they achieved so far, for continuing the work no matter how difficult," she added.

Cotabato City, the seat of the BARMM government, is part of Maguindanao province.

Robredo won big in Maguindanao province during the 2016 vice presidential race, garnering 220,125 votes as against then senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.'s 80, 591 votes.

Robredo is hopeful she can pull off the same resounding victory.

"Noong 2016, malaki ang pinanalo ko rito. The whole of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan...kung kaya ma-repeat iyong nangyari noong 2016, malaking tulong sa pagkapanalo," she said.

(Back in 2016, I won big here and in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan. If I could repeat it, it will really be a big help.)

Robredo won against Marcos, Jr. in Lanao del Sur (180, 539 votes against 56,243), Basilan (77,321 against 32,326) and Tawi-Tawi (42,252 as against 35,165).—AOL, GMA News