LP officials on BOL approval: Mindanao is a step closer to peace

Officials of the Liberal Party (LP) commended the Moro and indigenous peoples, lawmakers, and other stakeholders after the bicameral conference committee approved the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Party officials, consisting of chairperson Vice President Leni Robredo, president Senator Kiko Pangilinan and secretary-general Representative Kit Belmonte, said in a joint statement on Sunday that with the BOL,  Mindanao is a step closer to peace.

“We commend the Moro leaders, lawmakers, and other stakeholders for getting the work done,” they said.

“This brings the Filipino people a critical step closer to peace and prosperity, and our Moro brothers and sisters to their quest for the right to self-determination and full autonomy,” they claimed.

LP officials also thanked previous administrations and its officials who have worked to craft the BOL.

“We also thank the previous administrations for taking the initiative through what was variably known then as the Bangsamoro Basic Law and the Memorandum of Agreement-Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD),” the party officials said.

“It is noteworthy that our Moro brothers and indigenous peoples have helped craft and approve this law. The Bangsamoro entity is the result of their own struggle — for independence through armed struggle finally reaching a peacefully negotiated solution,” the group noted.

However, they also reminded the public that the enactment of the law is just the start of the process.

“It matters most to the people in Mindanao whose blood has sanctified their land and their struggle. It matters to all Filipinos who share their struggle because a peaceful, progressive Mindanao is a peaceful, progressive Philippines,” they explained.

“The Marawi siege and the ensuing martial law remind us that while an instrument of peace and progress, the passage of the organic law is just a start. We have to remain vigilant at every step of the way to see its implementation through.”

“The law is not just a document but about charting a better future now for the people of Mindanao, with respect and dignity for all,” they added. /ee

READ: Bicam approves Bangsamoro Organic Law