Lidasan: Peacebuilding and Zamboanga City public hearing and consultation

THE House of Representatives together with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission conducted a public hearing and consultation on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the city of Zamboanga last March 2, 2018 at Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College (ZCSPC). The hearing and consultation is part of the series of consultation process before Congress starts its deliberation in the plenary.

The participants gave different stand regarding the consolidated bills that aim seek to establish the Bangsamoro political entity that will replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The local government of Zamboanga City headed by Mayor Beng Climaco delivered a strong statement of the “official position of the City of Zamboanga, which has been firm, consistent and unequivocal. She said that Zamboanga City has always been for peace, a just, meaningful and lasting peace in Mindanao. “The BBL should likewise be inclusive, not isolative, of all groups, people and stakeholders to act forward in espousing meaningful, lasting peace and prosperity in Mindanao and should abhor armed conflict”.

Mayor Beng also mentioned, “The city should never form part nor be included in the Bangsamoro, now or ever. Neither of its 98 component barangays nor any of part/zone/sitio thereof should never be included in the Bangsamoro, now or ever,”

Members of the civil society organizations and academe also voiced out their stand regarding the BBL. Professor Alih Sakaluran Aiyub, resident of Zamboanga City, Secretary-General, Ulama Council of the Philippines said, “According to Hon. Congressman Celso Lobregat the Zamboanga is not part of the Bangsamoro but take note when you revisit the history, if you go to city hall we have the mark there that Zamboanga was that once a Moro seat of the Moro province. So let the people decide, why do you represent to decide for us? Why are you afraid to let the people decide? I think this is a democratic rights of the people.”

Based on my understanding, the existing BBL that we drafted, Zamboanga City cannot be part of Bangsamoro. The BBL BTC draft states: Areas that are outside the proposed core territory may be included in the plebiscite to ratify the BBL and be part of the Bangsamoro if the following are met: “Area must be contiguous to the core territory; and at least two (2) months prior to the plebiscite, there is either a: Resolution of the concerned local government units (LGUs) asking for participation in the plebiscite, or Petition of at least ten percent (10%) of the registered voters in the area asking to be included in the plebiscite.”

Questions: “Is Zamboanga City contiguous with the Bangsamoro core territory?” What do we mean by contiguous? Not unless Congress will define what the word “contiguous” mean, we may use Black’s Law dictionary which states, means ïn close proximity; in actual close contact touching; bounded or traversed by. The term is not synonymous with "vicinal." As defined in the cases Plaster Co. v. Campbell, 89 Va. 396, 16 S. E 274; Bank v. Hopkins, 47 Kan. 580, 28 Pac. 000, 27 Am. St. Rep. 309. Applying this definition, Zamboanga cannot be part of the Bangsamoro.

But what seems to be the problem in Zamboanga City and the BBL? The way I see it, the voices that I heard in Zamboanga during the consultation has something to do with the centuries-old issue of trust and mistrust, healing, and transitional justice.

Cong. Celso Lobregat always mentioned in his speech that he is for peace. He also mentioned that “No one, after all, is against peace.” I agree with him. But peace is not just the absence of war. It requires a long hard work and constant attention to the needs and concerns of our people.

Zamboanga City is near the island provinces of the ARMM. Most of the people from these provinces reside, spend their time and resources in this city. Thus, Zamboanga cannot isolate itself from these provinces.

Diana Jenkins, peace activist from Bosnia, wrote in an article said, “Dr. Barry S. Levy, an expert on the adverse health consequences of war... discussed the multi-generational effects of war. A declaration of peace is only the first step on the long journey to normalcy.” Moreover, she said, “Peace is more than the absence of war. Once the last gun shot is fired, there is still an enormous amount of work to be done.” I do recognise that Zamboanga suffered a lot during the “siege”. We should not limit ourselves and look at the present context, we should also look at decades conflict that led to Bud Dajo and Bud Bagsak massacres, the burning of Jolo, and all other armed conflicts in Mindanao that resulted to the deaths of at least 120,000 people on the side of the government, people in Mindanao, and the Bangsamoro. In the hearts and minds of the Bangsamoro, the struggle of right to self-determination started hundreds of years back when the Spaniards tried to colonise our land.

The BBL aims for our people to come together and offer support to communities ravaged by decades of conflict. The proposed bill looks into the need of having an intergenerational peacebuilding effort.

I would like to take the words of Ms. Diana Jenkins that peacebuilding aims to “to address both the broken infrastructure and shattered people: economic help, educational opportunities, medical and psychiatric support, and spiritual healing. Long term multi-faceted solutions are much harder to sustain than quick fixes, but they’re necessary to reduce the long-term consequences of war.” This is exactly the point of the BBL.

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