Observations on BARRM views
Dear Editor:
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) designated me as the overall spokesperson, a function that I perform concurrently as interior and local government minister. So most likely, I was the “BARMM spokesperson” mentioned in the column of Atty. Makabangkit Lanto that appeared on 20 February 2021.
To clarify, I was not in Manila last week. We were there on 20 to 21 January as part of the official delegation of the BARMM Chief Minister to honor an invitation by Malacañang.
Even if we happened to be in the capital on an earlier date, I am sure it was not to “question” the oversight powers of Congress on media, as Atty. Lanto’s column made it appear through his own perception.
Second, the word “audit” appears in Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman’s Resolution in reference to Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the forerunner of BARMM, since there was no audit that took place prior to the February 2019 turnover.
Thus, we would have no reason to be “afraid.” On the other hand, we note that Deputy Speaker Hataman uses the term “midterm review” in the same resolution he filed in reference to BARMM.
We merely expressed our opinion on 20 January when asked in an interview about Hataman’s resolution and that’s how we saw it. Truth to tell, we did not mean to antagonize the institution.
In fact, some of us were already in the joint hearing of the House committees on suffrage, Muslim affairs and on Mindanao Peace and Reconciliation last 16 February. And as it happened, the lawmaker present shared generally fairer views than those that we read in Atty. Lanto’s 20 February and earlier columns on BARMM.
I also note that we were scheduled to appear in a briefing with the President to discuss the normalization track of the peace process.
Lastly, we are also profoundly thankful to the Daily Tribune for including some points from the UN Secretary General’s fair and objective notes on BARMM.
In his message, the UN Secretary General enumerated our modest level of accomplishment, including our responses to the Covid-19 threat, as relayed to us by UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, Gustavo González. Thank you and more power to your good publication.