THE Bangsamoro Parliament has institutionalized the Salamat Excellence Award for Leadership (SEAL) in honor of the late Sheikh Salamat Hashim, the founding chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
Parliamentarian Naguib Sinarimbo said Parliament Bill 355 has been passed into a regional law by the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA).
Sinarimbo said the SEAL program institutionalizes an award system for exemplary leadership among local government executives, pre-assessed for attainable leadership standards of moral governance in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
BTA Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, who heads the Bangsamoro Parliament as well as its Executive line agencies, enacted the BARMM SEAL Act last night, according to his staff, subsequently confirmed by Sinarimbo.
Sinarimbo said the SEAL Act is the highest leadership award, incentive, honor and recognition-based program for all LCEs in the BARMM, and is a continuing commitment for LCEs to continually progress and improve their leadership.
The awardee must demonstrate the capacity to embody the principle of accountable leadership by strictly adhering to law, thoughtfully considering the ethical and moral dimensions of decision-making and of being willing to accept the consequences of those decisions and actions.”
The awarding system now legislated is conceived of ideal standards of leadership, including those set by the late MILF founder in his book.
The seal Act also provides for an innovative funding mechanism with its establishment of an Endowment Fund that is Sharia-compliant. This will make the monetary incentive sustainable. This is also the first in the autonomous region, Sinarimbo said.
Hashim taught his followers that the Moro armed struggle was not waged against the Christians, but sought instead to correct injustices in history and in many state policies towards the country’s Muslims.
BTA Bill 355 was sponsored by Abdullah Hashim, son of the MILF founder, along with fellow parliamentarians Romeo Sema, Rashdi Adiong, Alirakim Munder, Zaacaria Rakim, Tomanda Antok, Kitem Kadatuan Jr., Ma’arouph Candao, Abdulbasit Benito, Alindatu Pagayao, Ibrahim Ibay, Butch Malang, and Muhammad Nadzir Ebil.
Behind the measure were a forum-series that hosted academics, local historians, writers, lawyers, technocrats as a consultative-dialogue platform, led by Sinarimbo himself a lawyer, when he was BARMM’s Minister of Interior and Local Government.
The new law has an unusually long title—An Act Establishing and Institutionalizing the Salamat Excellence Award for Leadership (SEAL) Program in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and providing funds therefor.”
Section 2 of the law states; “It is the policy of the Bangsamoro Government to recognize, incentivize and institutionalize exemplary leadership in the BARMM that embodies moral governance, accountability and inclusive development.”
“Consistent with this basic policy, the Bangsamoro Government hereby establishes the Salamat Excellence Award for Leadership (SEAL) to honor outstanding leaders who exemplify the Bangsamoro’s aspirations for self-determination, peace and progress,” it read.
“These principles applies to all LCEs and other local leaders who show extraordinary public service and consistently demonstrate moral behavior by adhering to the principles of transparency, honesty, accountability, integrity, vicegerency, flexibility, moderation and righteousness,” it added.
