PRESIDENT Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law in the hope of bringing lasting peace and progress in Mindanao.
“Fighting is no longer an option,” he said, “Usap na lang tayo,” addressing various Muslim rebel factions.
This new Bangsamoro Organic Law is important, not just for those residing in the Bangsamoro autonomous region, but also for the Filipino-Muslims who migrated to or have established temporary residence in other parts of the country.
It is our hope that this Bangsamoro Organic Law will prove our Filipino-Muslim brothers in Mindanao and all over the country that they are very much a part of the present and future of our country, that we care about them and their welfare.
We chose to go through the most difficult process of peace talks and then the crafting of this new law because we care about our Filipino-Muslim brothers and sisters. Our country would be incomplete without them because they are truly an essential part of our nation.
This is a new chapter in political, economic, and social relations with the Bangsamoro autonomous region and between Filipino-Muslims and the rest of the Filipino nation. The Bangsamoro Organic Law reflects the best efforts of the negotiators of both sides of the peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, as well as their respective principals, to carve out and craft a law that remains true to the commitments made during the long peace negotiations and that conforms with the Constitution and Philippine laws.
To the detractors and all who remain unsatisfied, let us give this Bangsamoro Organic Law a chance to be implemented.
