MARAWI CITY -- Bringing with them cardboards saying, “Peace, Not War,” the management of Masiricampo Abantas Memorial Islamic and Science Academy (Mamisa) has temporarily suspended their classes here on Wednesday, July 4, to attend a peace rally.
Instead, Mamisa brought their senior high school students to Jamiatu Muslim Mindanao Quadrangle in Barangay Matampay to call for the passage of Bangsamoro Transition Commission's (BTC) version of Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
Johannah Maundah, a teacher of Mamisa senior high school level, said they are praying that the final draft of the Bicameral Conference Committe's BBL will be compliant to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
“Gusto namin iyong BBL na magbibigay sa amin ng kalayaan at peace para mawala na ang gulo dito sa amin, (We want the BBL that gives us freedom and peace to remove chaos here)” Maundah said.
Cairoden Lidasan, 34, a member of United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD) in Malabang town, Lanao del Sur came to join the peace rally with some fellow members of the youth group.
According to Lidasan, he may not understand the whole concept of BBL but he want to fight for it as the “exclusive power of the Bangsamoro.”
“Marami daw kasing binura doon sa (There were a lot erased from the) original version ng (of) BTC. Dapat maibalik yung version ng BTC sa BBL kasi lahat ng rights ng Bangsamoro ay nandun (The original version of BTC should be returned because all the rights of Bangsamoro are there),” Lidasan said.
Maundah's school, Mamisa, and Lidasan's UNYPAD organization, were part of the more than 18,000 Meranaws who came together for the peace rally, in time for the Bangsamoro Transition Committee’s meeting for the final drafting of the BBL.
While they came from different parts of Lanao del Sur, their objective is the same: to live peacefully in this province known to be the lair of the Daesh-inspired local terrorist group.
Drieza Lininding of Ranao Confederation for Peace said that despite of their ongoing struggle to reclaim their lives and rebuild Marawi after the five-month long war, it is still the right time to express their voices and show their actions of support to the passage of the long-overdue Bangsamoro law.
“Sa aming panan-aw, ang isyu ng Marawi City ay inseparable siya sa Bangsamoro Basic Law. Matagal naming panawagan na kung sana na-address natin ng maaga ang mga historical injustices at conflict sa Mindanao through negotiated political settlement tulad ng BBL ay hindi sana nangyayari ang Marawi siege,” Lininding said.
Through the BBL, he said the Bangsamoro people are hoping that their rights, which they think were not enjoyed because of the Martial Law implementation, can be answered.
“Kung hindi ito ma-address ngayon ng national government through BBL, kaya natin itong ma-address,” Lininding said. (Divina M. Suson)