A FEW weeks after the passage of the law on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and thereafter, the flurried appointments for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) members, I managed to get in touch with recognized/true-blue MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) personalities to discuss their next move?
In conversation with names held in confidence, they repeated previous public pronouncements on a possible meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte. “We are just waiting for the president. We are looking forward to federalism, as what the president assured us”.
I posed certain queries for the individuals to consider, by phone or text. “Are you optimistic that federalism will push ahead in the remaining term of this administration? More so the intention to establishing two Bangsamoro Federal States, one for land and the other, sea based (Bangsa Sug)? The answer came with, “This is why we need to meet and talk to the president. Brother Nur (Misuari) is looking forward to such a meeting”.
My next batch of questions followed, “Do you think under the present set-up, with MILF dominated BARMM/BTA, they would welcome the diminution of their power? The splitting of present “territories”? Bisection of appropriations and budget? Partitioned natural (land, mineral, sea, gas, oil, etc.) resources?”. In short, “Will the MILF support the creation of second “Bangsa”? Or should you start moving ASAP or else, your followers would be co-opted?”
The unspoken elephant in the room is, will Putra Jaya agree to the aforementioned scheme, in the first place? A second bangsa, to accommodate Nur Misuari’s MNLF? Where the political breeze of Putra Jaya blows, is sadly where the MILF takes its breath. Past statements by Chairman Nur have derided Malaysia for illegally occupying Sabah, painting them as “neo-colonialists”. Obviously, Malaysian national security and defense would not want a “threat” for a neighbor. Bangsamoro for whom?
