Cotabato City—President Rodrigo Duterte led here Monday the distribution of 815 certificates of land ownership award to some 912 beneficiaries in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The CLOA distribution covers more than 2,000 hectares of land in Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, all province components of the autonomous region.
“You know, I have two years left and I want the BARMM to evolve into something that is a functional regional autonomous government. Right now,” Duterte told BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim Murad during his speech at the Shariff Kabunsuan Complex, the seat of the BARMM entity in Cotabato City.
Joining the President in his visit were Senator Christopher Go, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, and Mindanao Development Authority Chairman Emmanuel Piñol, among others.
In his speech, the President told former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who are now with the government after the creation of the fledging BARMM set-up, that after the war and the loss of lives, one would realize that holding a gun has no meaning at all.
“Take hold of that and at day’s end you’ll ask, what has this given me? A gun gets a gun in return. This will have no end. The Moro people are the ones suffering,” he said.
While calling on the beneficiaries to take care of their new lands, Duterte urged them to shun persuasion from terrorist groups to join them.
“Look at Iraq now, then Syria and Afghanistan. You know, when you already evolved into something, which is regional and you have your armed forces or police, I will agree to that but you have to kill the terrorists. They are not for peace,” he said.
Duterte noted that if BARMM leaders were not careful, the threat of terrorism might remain a problem, as “they are the guys that will create trouble in the future.”
“You have to correct history, not by arms but by dialogue and peaceful means,” he said, adding that those who are fortunate enough to be beneficiaries of land must take of it because they would pass it down to their children.
“Nobody will take that land away from you because it was given to you by the authorities,” the President told the beneficiaries.
He said that although there was the BARMM, peace in the region was not complete due to the presence of armed groups affiliated with terrorists.
“They will destroy BARMM, then you cannot develop it as envisioned by Murad,” Duterte said.
He said the government had no other purpose in sending in the Armed Forces except to quell the rebellion and to kill and be killed in return.
“I’m just reminding you (to) avoid that scenario. Strike at them. Do not allow them,” the President said.
Duterte described the BARMM as a growing political entity that had to be protected and enhanced.
“Get rid of that hatred. We are brothers,” he said, adding that the only solution to deal with terrorism is to deal with it harshly.
“I told you that before, I remember. I warned you about terrorism),” he said, noting that what was good for BARMM should be good for everyone and that everybody should enjoy it.
The President also told BARMM officials to come up with good policies to enhance the dignity that the region has lost for many years.
“Now is the time for the Moro people to regain their dignity,” Duterte said.
He said it was important that BARMM officials create a thriving community for it to succeed as it would serve as deliverance for the Moro people in the political and social aspects.