By Jigger Jerusalem/PNA
MADALUM, Lanao del Sur – Traditional leaders from the two Lanao provinces pledged their full support for the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) during a gathering here Thursday.
Sultan Usman Sarangani Sr., the Sultan of Uya-an and reigning Paramount Sultan of Mindanao, said they support the ratification of the BOL to pave the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Sarangani said the traditional leaders in the two provinces hope that the establishment of the BARMM will lead to “better and comfortable life for the Bangsamoro people.”
He also applauded the BOL for recognizing the importance of traditional leaders in the Bangsamoro society by creating mechanisms for them to play a pivotal role in promoting peace and order, and conflict resolution.
“(We) will also work for the unification of the traditional leaders and encourage the search for solutions to the differences among the traditional leaders,” Sarangani added.
While they have no political power, traditional leaders remain widely respected and regarded as cultural representatives of the Meranao people.
Sarangani said the assembly attended by some 500 traditional leaders, which he noted was the first of its kind in Lanao, was a venue for them to “amplify” the provisions of the BOL to make them understand and appreciate its provisions.
He said traditional leaders are grateful to President Rodrigo Duterte for advancing the BOL and for working towards peace and development in Muslim Mindanao.
Adan Abdullah, who represented the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during the assembly, said he will convey to the MILF leadership the inputs of the traditional leaders on BOL, as well as their support for its ratification.
Abdullah noted that traditional leaders “have the responsibility to support governance,” even as he thanked them for “helping push the idea of self-governance and self-determination”.
Among the speakers in the assembly include Aleem Rasad Bacaraman, president of the Haitul Ulama Bangsamoro; Commissioner Said Sheik of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission; and Ali Solaiman, of the MILF Central Committee.
