THE Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) headed by its chairman, Muslimin Sema, who is also the labor minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), wants Sulu province to become part again of BARMM.
Toward this end, Sema has called the attention of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and for Congress to enact an enabling law that will facilitate the return of Sulu province to BARMM.
Sema said in an interview over the phone on June 8 that after the Supreme Court removed Sulu province as integral part of the BARMM in its decision on Sept. 9, 2024, they carefully studied and explored all avenues to realize a dream of a united Bangsamoro as well as ensure that the commitments enshrined in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro will be fully realized.
He said that Sulu is not only an essential component of the BARMM by virtue of law but also by its deep historical and cultural ties with the Bangsamoro identity and struggle, and that BARMM would never be the same without Sulu and its people, explained Sema.
Sema recalled that the Supreme Court decision declared Sulu is not part of BARMM due to the outcome of the 2019 plebiscite, where 54 percent of Sulu's voters rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
The high court upheld the validity of Republic Act 11054, also known as the BOL, resulting in exclusion of Sulu from BARMM.
Sema, however, said that the BARMM government remains committed to inclusivity, proving that the unity of the Bangsamoro people historically and culturally is vital to the peace and progress of the region.
"We, the whole MNLF leadership, remain hopeful that this time, the unity that binds the Bangsamoro people through history, struggle and shared aspirations must prevail," Sema said.
BARMM was formed following the ratification of the BOL in 2019 to provide self-governance for the Bangsamoro people, honoring its distinct identity and its pursuit of autonomy.
Sema also said that Sulu is an integral component of the collective aspiration of the Moro people in Southern Philippines for progress and peace via self-governance, and that Sulu is the virtual birthplace of the Moro uprising for self-rule, in the context of Philippine sovereignty.
Sema cited that MNLF was the first to fight for independence but agreed to autonomy and now Sulu, which was the main geographical and strategic cause of Mindanao secession, was taken out from the BARMM.
The MNLF, including the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, according to Sema, has urged the concerned members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to pass a law to have Sulu become part of BARMM again.
Sema recalled that the MNLF had demanded autonomy over 13 provinces in Mindanao during peace talks in the 1970s with then-president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. It was formalized as its first compact with the national government that resulted in the signing of the Tripoli Agreement on Dec. 23, 1976.
Both the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and the final agreement signed on Sept. 2, 1996, were the reference of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro that replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao of 2019 into BARMM, explained Sema.