New Organic Act not in best interest of Muslim Mindanao

A leading candidate for governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao yesterday deplored the signing by President Arroyo of the New ARMM Organic Act as hasty and ill-advised and not in the best interest of Muslim Mindanao.

President Arroyo signed last week the bill amending the ARMM Organic Act (Republic Act 6734) during the 15th Bishops Ulama Forum general assembly in Davao City where she was the keynote speaker.

The new law seeks to expand the autonomous region’s coverage from the present four provinces and one city to 14 provinces and 11 cities. It sets a plebiscite in the affected areas to be held simultaneously with the congressional and local elections on May 14. It also resets the election of ARMM officials from May 14 to Sept. 10 this year.

Sultan Macapanton Abbas Jr. of the Muslim Reform Party said it was obvious that the President’s advisers failed to convey to her the true sentiments of Muslim Mindanao. "In fact there is no official in Malacañang assigned to oversee Muslim affairs," he added.

According to Abbas, concerned Muslim groups including the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have earlier voiced their opposition to the amendments to RA 6734. It is possible that this was never made known to Mrs. Arroyo, he said.

In separate declarations, the MILF on June 29, 2000 and the MNLF on Sept. 4, 2000 rejected the proposed amendments to the Organic Act. The MNLF is protesting the abrupt signing of the new organic act due to the non-inclusion of many provisions originally stated in the MNLF peace accord with the Philippine government.

The Organization of Islamic Conference also approved resolutions in its meetings in Kuala Lumpur and Qatar last year asking the Philippine government to postpone the plebiscite to 2003 because of MNLF and MILF objections, Abbas said.

He stressed that majority of Christian leaders in Mindanao are also opposed to the New Organic Act. "With its signing by the President, the administration party can kiss its hopes of scoring a clean sweep of the senatorial elections goodbye," he said.

Abbas also opposed the resetting of the ARMM polls from May 14 to Sept. 10, 2001, saying the Supreme Court (Osmena vs. Comelec, GR 100318) had already ruled against the desynchronization of elections.