Mindanao’s royal houses support Bangsamoro law

Some 500 members of the Bangsamoro Royal Houses expressed support for the Bangsamoro Basic Law during a one-day solidarity conference held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao.

“We decided to hold this assembly of our elder leaders in the royal houses of Bangsamoro to have our voices be heard by our officials in the national government, as well as by the people in Mindanao,” said Sultan Pinandatu Uko Mluk.

“We have suffered many years of struggle and we want peace in our home for both Christians and Muslims,” Prime Sultan Sayyid added.

Members of the Royal Houses of Maguindanao, Buayan, Kabuntalan led by its Prime Sultan of  Maguindanao Mandanaur Darussalam  Sayyid  Abdulaziz Salem Kudarat    Mastura V, Sultan of Kabuntalan Pinandat Uko Mluk,  Buayan Sultanate Amil Kusain Camsa and Taviran IV Engr.  Datu Noldin S. Oyod were present in the conference.

The royal house leaders thanked Ghazali Jaafar, 1st vice chairman of the MILF Central Committee, for his efforts to push the BBL despite the incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25.

Jaafar opened the conference, expressing gratitude to the officials of the royal houses for holding a “timely and significant” conference.

“The conference demonstrates the unity of the Muslims whose lives have been in constant struggle for so many years,” he added.

Jaafar stressed that the Bangsamoro goal is to usher Mindanao to a new growth area. The New Mindanao, he said, will become a vital part of the economic, political, and social development of the entire Philippines.

“As we aim to build up the New Mindanao, guns shall be changed to shovels. Cannons shall be changed into tractors. Bombs will be changed into fertilizers. Bullets shall be changed into seedlings. Armies shall be changed into farmers. Nothing can initiate this massive cultivation of land but with just and dignified peace,” he said.