Duterte urged to do more to win Bangsamoro vote

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte is being urged to give more vocal support for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to boost its chances of victory in the  plebiscite this year.

The BOL’s victory is expected in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which will vote as one geographical area. But to expand the territorial jurisdiction of the new autonomous region, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said Malacañang’s endorsement is crucial to a “yes” win in key battle areas Cotabato City and Isabela City during the plebiscite to be held on January 21 and February 6. 

“Talagang sinusuportahan ng Pangulo ito. Pero ang tingin ko dapat mas actively mag-involve si President rito sa kampanya na dapat manalo ang ‘yes’ (The President really supports this. But I think the President should be more actively involved in the campaign to make sure that ‘yes’ will win),” said Hataman. 

A video of Duterte endorsing BOL is being circulated in the campaign, a message he reiterated in his last speech in Sulu. 

“Tingin ko naman mananalo na. Pero ‘yung itong ibang areas, halimbawa Cotabato City at Isabela City, very dikit kasi (I think it will already win. But I’m concerned about other areas like Cotabato City and Isabela City where the vote is tight),” said Hataman. 

The plebiscite aims to carve an autornomous region that has more powers than the ARMM, based on a new law that came after the signing of a historic peace agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the previous Aquino administration.

Mayor vs BOL

The MILF and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) have focused their campaign on Cotabato City, considered the “crown jewel” for the rebel group.

But they are up against the popular mayor, Cynthia Guiani, who has taken a stand against the city’s inclusion in the new region. 

The plebiscite campaign in Cotabato is heated. It is increasingly becoming a launching pad for campaign in the midterm May 2019 elections, with Guiani running against one of the Bangsamoro proponents in Congress, Maguindanao Representative Bai Sandra Sema. 

Guiani has stepped up her word war against the MILF, accusing a commander of the rebel group of masterminding the deadly blast in Cotabato City on New Year’s eve. The MILF dismissed the allegation and condemned the attack. The military pinned the blast on the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a breakaway group of the MILF.

Akbars oppose new region 

In Isabela City in the province of Basilan, the ruling Akbar clan also opposed the city’s inclusion in the new region. 

Hataman, who is from Basilan and is seeking a congressional seat there, said he will focus his campaign on the city but added he’s concerned that the campaign against the new region has stirred anti-Muslim sentiment among Christian residents of both cities. 

“Priority namin is Isabela City to be part [of the new entity]. Kasi kawawa ang Isabela City to be part of Zamboanga Peninsula…ang layo nila. Hindi na mabibigyan ng pansin ng Zamboanga Peninsula dahil madaming mahihirap na lugar sa Zambo Peninsula,” said Hataman. 

(Our priority is to make Isabela City part of the new entity. It will suffer if it continues to be part of the Zamboanga Peninsula, which is too far. The city will not get proper attention from Zamboanga Peninsula because it already has a considerable number of poor population.)

Former chief peace adviser Teresita “Ging” Deles, who served under the former Aquino administration, made the same call for a stronger Duterte involvement in the “yes” campaign.

“Gusto kong makita a stronger indication from the President in support of the plebiscite. Dapat ‘yung ma-feel na importante ito sa national government. Hindi pwedeng iiwanan na lang basta yung batas,” said Deles. 

(I want to see a stronger indication from the President in support of the plebiscite. We should be able to feel that this is important to the national government. It cannot just abandon the law.)

“I think the President and his enormous influence on local governments can help to convince people that this is the right step to a long awaited moment,”  Deles added. 

Hataman said Duterte could call local politicians to a meeting and personally appeal to them to support BOL. 

“Kung ako ang Presidente ng Pilipinas, ipatawag ko ang mga LGU concerned at ipaliwanag mismo ni Presidente ito ang kahalagahan nito. Mas maganda iboto natin ang ‘yes’ alang-alang sa kapayapaan (If I were the President of the Philippines, I will call LGUs concerned to a meeting and personally appeal to them to vote ‘yes’ for the sake of peace),” said Hataman. 

Deles is also concerned about the national government’s preparations for the new Muslim region, including its budget allocation. 

Deles said the new government should be constituted and buckle down to work immediately after the plebiscite. But she is worried that the composition of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) that will govern the new region during a transition period has not been finalized. 

Deles underscored the work that will need to be done after the plebiscite, especially in starting the process of making thousands of MILF combatants set aside their weapons and abandon decades-long separatist rebellion. 

“It will need a lot  of cooperation between the national government and the new regional government to try to be as seamless as possible. The expectations from the BTA and the MILF will be very high,” said Deles. – Rappler.com