COTABATO CITY (April 30, 2024) – Various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) rallied yesterday, April 29, 2024 in support of the widespread call for the extension of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) period from 2025 to 2028. Their efforts coincided with the visit of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to Maguindanao where he traversed Barira en route to Bagu Inged Special Geographic Area (SGA).
The CSOs, positioned along the roadside, displayed their tarpaulins bearing the messages for call for the extension of the transition period for another three years.
Their presence also aimed to underline the Bangsamoro populace’s plea, especially those who endured displacement and the brunt of conflict.
Central to their advocacy is the recognition of the substantial advantages that extending the transition period entails. Primarily, it would provide an invaluable window for nurturing peace within the Bangsamoro Homeland.
Grounded on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the call for extension resonates with both the Political Track, which encompasses the establishment of the Bangsamoro Government, and the pivotal Normalization Track.
This latter track embodies a sensitive process of community transformation, involving the decommissioning of MILF combatants and the redeployment of Armed Forces, alongside the establishment of Bangsamoro policy and discussions on amnesty for top MILF leaders.
The CSOs emphasized that extension aligns not with individual preferences but with the roadmap laid out in the CAB. While acknowledging MILF’s readiness for elections in 2025, they stressed the imperative of honoring the Peace Process’s roadmap and ensuring that the affected communities, particularly those in the MILF’s six major camps, benefit from comprehensive decommissioning packages.
The CSOs’ call for extension aims not only to support lasting peace but also to advance the aspirations of the Bangsamoro youth—a generation born amidst conflict, now bearing the promise of the Bangsamoro’s future.
“Kami naman sa hanay ng CSO ang tinitignan namin dito ay ang Road Map ng CAB, ang tinitignan namin dito itong mga kasama natin na mula sa Unite for Peace and Development mula sa CSO, ito ang mga kabataang pinanganak sa gyera, mga kabataang dumanas tumira sa evacuation center, itong kabataang pag-asa ng Bangsamoro,” said Dats Magon, the spokesperson of the United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD).
(As for us in the CSO, what we are looking at here is the Road Map of the CAB. We are looking at our partners from Unite for Peace and Development within the CSO. These are the youth born into war, the youth who experienced living in evacuation centers, the hopeful youth of the Bangsamoro.)
In conclusion, the CSOs fervently implored President BBM to extend the BTA period to 2028, viewing it as the sole avenue for consolidating unity among Bangsamoro leaders. They praised the BTA’s performance, which incorporated both Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) factions and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and urged the President and the Philippine Government to seize this opportunity for sustained peace, security, health, transitional justice, and normalization in the Bangsamoro region.
The collective message amplified “Unite for Peace, Support BTA Extension from 2025 to 2028.” (Sahara A. Saban, BMN/BangsamoroToday)
