All-Moro Convention pushes Bangsamoro state constitution

THE All-Moro Convention (AMC) is proposing a Bangsamoro State Constitution that will attend to the demands of the constituencies, particularly in Mindanao, to President Rodrigo Duterte administration.

An AMC Core Group Meeting and Signing on draft Bangsamoro State Constitution, Federal Republic of the Philippines was organized at the Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) in Davao City on June 2.

Minda Secretary Datu Abul Khayr Alonto and AMC president lawyer Datu Michael Mastura presented the draft of the Bangsamoro State Constitution to participants composed of professionals, judges, and lawyers.

"It started, instead of the Bangsamoro, the All-Moro Convention must write a state constitution for the Bangsamoro," Mastura said, adding that the AMC prepared the draft Bangsamoro State Constitution a year ago.

With the mandate of the Minda to provide strategic path for Mindanao development under the Duterte administration’s federalism agenda, Mastura said AMC picked up such idea and proposed an amendment to the constitution.

"The president, for the meantime, convokes a constitution. And so, we are responding to the third idea... wherein the Constitutional Commission (Concom) will write a constitution, which now, we have done it already," Mastura said.

Mastura said the Bangsamoro State Constitution is a constitution that provides structure which will be parliamentary in form and will fit a Federal Constitution Presidential System. He added that this would be a big help to their people.

Alonto, in a separate interview, described this move that embodied in pursuance of their rights to self-determination, with Duterte’s assurance from day 1 that he will support the Bangsamoro whose desires can be put in a constitution.

"In restoring their independence, freedom, and their sovereignty as people, therefore, the call of the adoption of the Federal System wherein Bangsamoro can fit in. The president is sincere in providing a genuine change," Alonto said.

Mastura said the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) earlier drafted a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), but did not propose an amendment to the constitution that prompted the AMC to create a draft Bangsamoro State Constitution.

"This will help because we are attending to the demand of the constituencies. This is one of the demands during the days of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but they were not satisfied on the organic act. Now, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to MILF, the agreements that were made, they are not satisfied with the law that made by the Congress. So, we are taking it upon ourselves to write this basic law for our constituents," Mastura said.

Mastura said the idea of a viable state will be resolved with their constitution because the government money will be equitable according to the distribution of the needs unlike the unitary system which it will go through a lot of process.

"In this constitution, we’ll be able to decide ourselves. We can increase requirements for attending the infrastructures for economic developments, because we will be deciding for ourselves what is needed for development," he added.

When asked as to their mode of government, Mastura said, they assumed corruption since every government in the world has a mode of corruption, but he can assure that it will be lessen as its government will be closer to the people.

The AMC calls on the president to involve people on the action side not anymore on the advocacy since he has been talking about the Federal System, Mastura said, adding that this is the right time for the administration to act on it.

"We really hope that this is a different ball game because the president is pushing the federal set up. The point here is this Bangsamoro State Constitution is coming from the experience of the people here in Mindanao," Mastura said.

As to the timeline of the constitution, Mastura said their timeline defends on the drafting of the Federal Constitution. He said they will match the work of the Federal Constitution Constitutional Commission (Concom) since they are on it.

Mastura said they will soon present the draft Bangsamoro State Constitution to the Concom, to the president, and to the Congress.

Alonto said they believe that the Federal System, the change and/or the amendment of the constitution into federal form of government is the very soul of the Duterte administration.