The Bangsamoro Transition has celebrated its second founding anniversary last January 2021. The interim regional government has less than a year left in the transition. While strides have been accomplished in the transition, some are yet to be fulfilled.
In a dialogue among officials of the BARMM and the National Government as well as the Congress, Atty. Sha-Elijah Dumama-Alba, the Bangsamoro Government’s Attorney General stressed that three (3) years is evidently not sufficient for a post-conflict government to be fully effective and operational.
“The first year of the transition in 2019 was poured into building the new bureaucracy, institutionalizing moral governance, and hiring of personnel. The second year of transition in 2020 has been ultimately halted by Covid-19 which forced the Bangsamoro Government to redirect its priorities,” she said.
On the third year of the transition period, BTA has to devote its priorities primarily on institution-building, legislating priority laws, continuous delivery of public service while also getting ready for a political event with decisive outcomes should the 2022 elections proceed for the BARMM.
With less than a year left for the transition, various groups and personalities has called for the extension of the Bangsamoro Transition period. In response to this call, at least five (5) bills have been filed at the House of Representatives and two (2) in the Senate, seeking to amend section 13 article XVI of the Republic Act 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), and to fix the first regular election of the region.
Representative Esmael “Toto” G. Mangudadatu, one of the authors of the bills noted that there is a “need” to extend the transition period of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to afford both the National Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ample time to implement the gains of the peace deals.
In the hope of consolidating feedback, analysis, perspectives and recommendations to the BARMM, the Ateneo de Davao University through the Al Qalam Institute for Islamic Identities and Dialogue in Southeast Asia, University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council (UCEAC) and Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy Center (APILA) is planning to organize the “Lungtad Bangsamoro: A Pakighinabi on the Proposed Extension of the Bangsamoro Transition on February 19, 2021 (Friday) 2-4:30 PM via Zoom.
The member schools of the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (DACS) are also enjoined to participate in the conversations with the end view of identifying strategic approaches to continuously help in strengthening the Bangsamoro government.