By Mehmet Ozturk and Satuk Bugra Kutlugun
ANKARA
One of the Philippines’ leading Muslim figures has called on lawmakers to pass a law that would grant autonomy to a southern Muslim region.
Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview that the Bangsamoro Basic Law would provide a framework for including all groups living in the proposed region.
The law, the latest draft of which was submitted to the presidency in August, is expected to be passed by the end of the year, Murad said.
The legislation envisages the basic structure of government for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and emerged from a 2014 peace deal between the government and MILF, then the largest Muslim rebel group in the country.
The region would include the Muslim-majority provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, as well as some cities outside these areas, and replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
President Rodrigo Duterte has voiced his support for the law, which will set a precedent for a federal model to be pushed out across the country.
Asked about the likelihood of the draft law being ratified by Congress, Murad said there was “a good chance”.
He added: “Because the president is very influential for the Congress. Now he is very popular among the people also.”
The Philippine Star newspaper reported Thursday that the bill would be submitted to Congress next week.
Reformed draft
“We will file the bill for the BBL [Bangsamoro Basic Law] submitted by the BTC [Bangsamoro Transition Commission] next week,” House Majority Leader Rodolfo Farinas said.
Murad said the draft legislation had been reformed since it was first presented in September 2014.
“We have also improved the BBL,” he said. “We have included the interests of other groups like the MNLF [Moro National Liberation Front], as well as the Christian settlers and the other indigenous people in the area. It is now more comprehensive.”
MILF was formed from a split with MNLF in the late 1970s.
Explaining the process for creating an autonomous administration in Bangsamoro, Murad said a transitional authority would be established to usher in greater political and economic powers.
“After the approval of the Congress, we have to conduct the ratification,” he said. “After the ratification, we will set up a transition government. This will be led by the MILF and other sectors also will be involved.”
Other groups had responded in a “positive” way to being included in the administration, he added.
“We tried to involve other sectors to the process, yes. The transition mechanism, according to the road map, will be within three years.”
Previous efforts to pass the legislation fell apart following the “Mamasapano operation”, when 44 police commandos were killed in January 2015 after they entered MILF territory unannounced in a bid to arrest a Malaysian terrorist known as Marwan.
Turkey has been heavily involved in the Bangsamoro peace process. A Turkish diplomat heads the decommissioning process and the country is a member of an international contact group, alongside the U.K., Saudi Arabia and Japan.
Military commander
“Turkey is also influential in the rehabilitation and development programs,” Murad said.
Murad, who was a military commander in MNLF before joining MILF in the early 1980s to help it surpass the rival group, also spoke about the four-month siege in Marawi City.
The siege has seen MILF assist government forces in trying to oust pro-Daesh militants who launched an attack on the capital of Lanao del Sur on May 23.
The fighting has cemented MILF’s opposition to violent radicalism in the Philippines.
Using an alternative acronym for Daesh, Murad said: “Actually, no-one benefited from this incident. Muslims, the government, even ISIS did not benefit this.
“Ultimately, they had to live in that area. Marawi is totally destroyed.”
He added: “Now the insurgency is almost finished. Only a little area, which includes an ISIS-influenced area, is left.”
Murad said the battle, which has seen large parts of the city reduced to rubble, was prolonged because “the government and the people did not expect an attack on Marawi.”
More than 200,000 have been displaced in the fighting, he added.
“We are trying to help these people re-participate with humanitarian aid. The government and international NGOs like IHH from Turkey are also providing aid.”
