The Bangsamoro Government, through its Attorney General’s Office (BAGO), filed twin motions before the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, seeking to intervene in the case regarding the exclusion of Sulu province from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). These motions aim to re-include Sulu in the autonomous region following the recent Supreme Court decision to sever the province from BARMM.
The motions were submitted following the Bangsamoro Government’s official receipt of the SC decision on Sept. 16, which excluded Sulu from the autonomous region. The ruling, handed down on Sept. 9, 2024, was based on the 2019 plebiscite results, where 54% of Sulu voters rejected inclusion in BARMM.
Under the Rules of Court, a motion for reconsideration must be filed within 15 days of receiving a judgment or final resolution, with proper notification to the opposing party. BAGO, led by Officer-in-Charge Attorney Mohammad Al-Amin Julkipli, filed a motion for leave to intervene, seeking the Court’s permission to participate in the ongoing proceedings.
Atty. Julkipli explained that the Bangsamoro Government was not a formal party to the case when it was originally filed in 2018, as BARMM had not yet been constituted. “When the case was pending, the Bangsamoro region had already been established, but it was never formally impleaded as a party,” he noted.
The motions also include a request for partial reconsideration of the Court’s decision, focusing specifically on Sulu’s re-inclusion in the autonomous region. Julkipli emphasized that while the SC ruling is labeled “immediately executory,” it is not “final and executory,” providing legal grounds for BARMM to challenge the decision.
The Supreme Court’s Sept. 9 ruling upheld the constitutionality of Republic Act No. 11054, known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which led to the creation of BARMM. However, Sulu’s exclusion from the region has raised concerns within the Bangsamoro Government, which views the province as integral to its identity and territorial integrity.
Julkipli expressed the government’s cautious optimism that the SC would reconsider its decision and allow Sulu to remain part of BARMM. He highlighted the importance of the province to the Bangsamoro identity and the region’s ongoing struggle for autonomy and development.
The Bangsamoro Government remains committed to defending the integrity of its regional territory and hopes for a favorable outcome. As Julkipli explained, “This is born from the desire of the autonomous region to preserve its unity, with Sulu playing a crucial role in our continued efforts for autonomy and progress as one people.”
The Supreme Court’s decision on the motions is expected to provide clarity on the legal options available to the Bangsamoro Government moving forward.
