A parliamentary system of government is something the Moros are unfamiliar with. While their neighbor and Islamic affiliate Malaysians have been practicing it, they could not relate to it. The unlettered are not even aware that when they voted in the plebiscite for the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, they were voting for a unique system that was different from the national government setup.
This is one of the reasons why many criticize the BARMM as being exclusive to a few cliques, unaware that the government of the day must command the majority of the Members of Parliament, or else it will not work effectively as a form of governance.
Last week, the residents of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City literally “felt” the presence of the BARMM, the regional government they voted to replace the old regional setup. They were treated to a two-day public consultation on two significant bills pending before the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the interim regional parliament, viz., the Bangsamoro Electoral Code and the Local Government Code.
These are two of the bills mandated in the organic law to be prioritized for enactment to initialize the full institutionalization of BARMM.
The consultation was conducted at the Provincial Capitol gymnasium in Marawi City on 31 January and 1 February. It was by every measure successful if the number of attendees, representing a cross-section of society, and the keen interest shown by the public are the barometers. The deliberation was expertly moderated and managed by Pasalin Tago, Deputy Speaker of the parliament and concurrently Minister of Transportation and Communications.
Prominent MPs were in attendance, among them, past acquaintances of this writer, lawyers Ras Metmug, Randolph Parcasio, and Joe Lorena, among others. The attendees were led by Governor Bombit Adiong who played host to the committees and Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra and a majority of the mayors and heads of the education and health sectors and civil society groups. Noticeable was the presence of local leaders of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party of the ruling BARMM government, who are mostly commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, sending a signal that they are ready and raring to participate in future hustings.
The format was rather unusual. It was a one-sided process. No repartee. Those who stood up to comment or advocate for amendments or revisions to the draft codes did not get any response from the MPs present. It was as if they were talking to a wall. Some speakers spoke in a booming voice that would have normally provoked a reaction from the MPs but all they got was a blank stare. The MPs kept their cool. It was a monologue of speakers. Even the stinging and vociferous commentary of Kapatagan lady Mayor Raida Maglangit did not shake them from their apparent “stupor.” This made gadflies observe that it was “lutong macaw” or a forgone conclusion and the bills as drafted would not undergo any changes or amendments. So, why go through the rigmarole of consulting the public?
It was an interesting scenario. Many speakers took advantage of the forum to pour out their grievances over the way the BARMM government was managing the region. It became an outlet to voice their complaints against regional governance. Most speakers were definitely out of order because they spoke of matters too foreign to the draft bills. But to the credit of Speaker Tago, he allowed them to speak freely without limiting their time, which brought the hearing beyond its schedule.
But the BARMM should have more of such consultations. At least it relieved the pain of being out of the loop on the affairs of the regional government. Recall that one of the criticisms against the BARMM is the deficit of information about its doings. Letting off the steam against a perceived failure of governance eases discomfort.
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