Senators dispute ‘fake news’ on bill postponing BARMM polls

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri (Henzberg Austria/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Two senators on Thursday disputed claims that a bill seeking to extend the transition period of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) removes the representation of Christian settler communities from the interim government.

During the Senate’s session, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri told his colleagues that he received an “alarming text” claiming that Senator Francis Tolentino, sponsor of the bill, has “removed” the Christian settler communities from the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) “paving the way for absolute Muslim authority in the area, leaving the Christians without a voice.”

The bill, which is currently being deliberated on the floor, seeks to postpone for three years the first regular BARMM elections.

In rescheduling the year of the elections, the BTA will be given more time to perform its mandate considering that the pandemic posed “significant challenges” on the accomplishment of its priority programs and projects.

“Please pray that our Christian senators would stop this and insist the representation of the settler communities be retained,” the text Zubiri received read.

But the majority leader was quick to dispute the content of the text as he came to Tolentino’s defense.

“This is fake news, for the record. I know the good sponsor (Tolentino) would never do that. I just want to put that on record because I feel bad for him. He is now subject of viral messages and attacks,” Zubiri said.

Senator Francis Tolentino (Henzberg Austria/ Senate PRIB)

“It is not fair to the gentleman because in his eagerness to show equitable distribution of positions in the interim BTA, he included settler communities, Christians, Lumads, women’s organizations, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) was there, the MILF, (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), youth, and Ulama,” he added.

“But I think it is being misconstrued by several groups that is why intense pressure is on the good sponsor,” he further said.

Tolentino, chairman of the Senate local government committee, also branded the claims as “fake news.”

“If you will scrutinize the transcript of yesterday’s interpellation, I mentioned settler communities more than five times and the bill, as cleaned and amended, will definitely include the settler communities,” he said.

JE