In Senate, Padilla bill seeks to split BARMM

ILIGAN CITY, LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines — With leaders in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) still reeling from the removal of Sulu province from its administrative jurisdiction, Sen. Robinhood Padilla has filed a measure that has the effect of further dividing the region.

Senate Bill No. 2879, according to a news release published on the Senate website, seeks to establish a new autonomous region comprising the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

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The measure was filed by Padilla on Tuesday aiming to “further promote political stability and economic development in the Sulu archipelago … ” But a copy of the bill has yet to be uploaded on the Senate website.

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Padilla said the measure “seeks to foster meaningful and effective governance and sustainable development, characterized by respect for culture, traditions and diversity.”

He added that the creation of the “Basulta Autonomous Region” will help hasten the delivery of basic services to the people of the three provinces. “Basulta” refers to Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

The measure could potentially splinter further the current BARMM, now composed of five provinces after Sulu’s exit by virtue of a Sept. 9 decision of the Supreme Court.

The ruling sent strong political shockwaves that continue to be felt by BARMM leaders, many of whom were emotional as Sulu was a major bedrock of the Bangsamoro struggle for self-determination.

If the Padilla measure is ratified, two more provinces—Basilan and Tawi-Tawi—will be chipped off the current BARMM, leaving it with only three provinces and a collection of eight new towns yet to be constituted into a province.

Petition

Meanwhile, a group of BARMM residents filed a “very urgent petition” on Monday before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of Republic Act No. 11593, the law postponing the regional elections from 2022 to 2025.

The legal challenge was filed three years after the measure was firmed up by Congress and signed into law by then President Rodrigo Duterte. On that basis, President Marcos had appointed in September 2022 the 80 new members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim government of the BARMM.

“We have been repeatedly denied election. Instead of elective officials in the Bangsamoro Parliament, we have appointed officials in the BTA for five years already,” the petitioners said.

“As election is the basic institution of democracy, it is so disturbing that it has not been institutionalized in the Bangsamoro,” they added.

Abulkhair Alibasa, one of the petitioners, told the Inquirer that while the petition might seem late, they wanted to set a precedent so that current measures to extend, yet again, the BTA’s institutional life would be barred legally if the Supreme Court issues a favorable ruling to their petition.

Measures to postpone the BARMM parliamentary elections from 2025 to 2026 are pending before the Senate and House of Representatives. —Ryan D. Rosauro