Women, children rally for Bangsamoro law

MANILA, Philippines — Advocates of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), including children as young as two years old, rallied outside the Senate on Monday to push for the passage of the BBL.

Two-year-old Narsheema Yahiya was the youngest of four children, who were at the forefront of the rally attended by mostly women, wearing the traditional black Muslim dress.

Yahiya was holding a poster with the words: We support BBL, and a hair dress with printed words on it: Yes to BBL Movement.

While the adult rallyists were chanting “BBL” and “Peace in Mindanao,” Yahiya and the three other kids just made a Number 1 hand signal.

The children are members of the group 1-Bangsa, according to its lead convenor, Alan Balangi.

Balangi said they gathered outside the Senate to push for the passage of the BBL based on the agreed version of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“Ito’y malakas na panawagan para ipasa na yung BBL. Ang aming hiling ay ipasa na yung agreed version, huwag yung mga iba’t ibang version na lumalabas ngayon,” he said.

Asked why the rallyists were mostly women, Balangi said it was because they were the most affected sector in war-torn in Mindanao.

“Sila na yung nanawagan kasi alam natin sila yung mostly naghihirap pag nagkaroon ng kaguluhan sa Mindanao,” he said.

The rally came as Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. declared a suspension of hearings on the proposed BBL after at least 30 policemen were killed by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters in Maguindanao Sunday morning.

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