Proposed amendments to the Bangsamoro Organic Law, including the reinclusion of Sulu and the strengthening of Shari’ah courts, were discussed by the Senate committee on local government on Wednesday.
“We want progress in Mindanao so that we can harness the true potential of Mindanao. We have to take action and do our part so that it can be realized, to make Mindanao a true land of promise, not just a land of promises,” Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito said.
One of the key proposals discussed was Senate Bill No. 2915, which seeks to reinclude the province of Sulu in BARMM.
The Supreme Court last year excluded Sulu from BARMM, noting that the province rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law during a plebiscite in 2019.
Another measure, Senate Bill No. 2820, aims to amend the qualifications for Shari’ah judges to improve judicial processes in the region.
Ejercito said BARMM is still facing challenges as it transitions into a fully functional autonomous region five years after its establishment.
The senator described these challenges as “birth pains” and emphasized that there is still room for improvement in governance and development.
“We still need to take action so that we can provide solutions to some issues that require legislative action,” he said, citing the need to address the disenfranchisement of voters in eight municipalities within the Special Geographic Area in BARMM, also known as the orphaned municipalities.
“We are just waiting for the House of Representatives’ version of this bill,” Ejercito added.