This refers to the statement published on Aug. 18, 2015, written by Rio Araja, entitled “Muslims unhappy with Roxas for not going against BBL.”
The One Bangsamoro Movement (1Bangsa) is wary that Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas may just be another President Benigno Aquino III if he gets elected as the next President in 2016. They feel that the President has been deceiving them from the start. “Feeling namin, nilinlang kami ng Presidente. Parang pina-asa lang kami sa wala.”
1BANGSA is on the frontline of peace advocacy groups and proponent of one million signature campaign in support for the Bangsamoro and the immediate passage of the original version of BBL.
The Muslim communities are disappointed at President Aquino for not being true to his word. It has been two years since the signing of the Bangsamoro agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and yet the President has failed to certify the said bill as an urgent bill. President Aquino’s words do not match his actions. “aniya kasama sa pinirmahang CAB na ito’y dapat icertify agad ng Pangulo as an urgent bill”
We were also dissatisfied when the President made his official announcement on his anointment of Roxas as Liberal Party’s standard-bearer. Regardless of how many Muslim leaders and individuals were present at Club Filipino, Roxas failed to recognize the presence of Muslim leaders and even mentioned BBL, Muslim Mindanao etc. amid mentioning other groups and key individuals, it was as if they were just there for show.
We are worried that Roxas could do the same thing for the Muslims, and disregard the BBL anew dahil sa pagtahak nito ng daang matuwid ni Pnoy.
This is not the first time that the Bangsamoro peace groups have reacted negatively to Roxas. In 2008, Roxas was one of those who were against the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).
In the 2010 elections, Muslim scholars then issued a fatwa (verdict) against former President Joseph Estrada, Senator Franklin Drilon and vice presidential candidate Mar Roxas. The three received the lowest votes in Muslim Mindanao “at talagang nilamapaso ni Binay si Roxas sa mga Muslim area”.
We are now once again calling the Muslims scholars (Ulama) to issue a FATWA against politicians who are anti-BBL “para magsilbi itong aral at babala sa mga national politicians na lantaran iyong pagkamuhi nila sa Mamamayang Bangsamoro”
In preparation for the 2016 national elections, we are contemplating implementing a one solid vote, to help us hasten the passage of the BBL. Muslims now have an estimated registered voters of more than three million.
We are against House Bill 5811, the BBL version that is being discussed in Congress right now. neither do we prefer the substitute version of Senator Bongbong Marcos.
Only BBL based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro is accepted to the Bangsamoro people.
1BANGSA is asking Senator Marcos to reconsider the original version of the BBL because it will just be a waste of time if one of these versions makes it to the plebiscite. The Muslim community will just turn it down.
Maulana “Alan” Balangi
Founding President, 1BANGSA