Manila, Philippines – November 12, 2024
The Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) will host a crucial forum today in Manila, focusing on the recent exclusion of the province of Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The forum comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision that formally excluded Sulu from BARMM following the province’s rejection of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in a 2019 plebiscite.
The BOL, enacted in 2018, established the BARMM as a new autonomous region to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). While most ARMM areas voted to join BARMM, Sulu voted against the BOL and subsequently filed a petition with the Supreme Court, challenging their inclusion despite their ‘no’ vote. On September 9, 2024, after a six-year review, the Court upheld the BOL’s validity but ruled that Sulu’s inclusion was unconstitutional, as it violated Article X Section 18 of the Philippine Constitution. This section mandates that only areas voting favorably in the plebiscite should be part of an autonomous region.
The forum, organized through IAG’s political dialogue program with support from the Australian Government, will delve into the implications of the decision and explore new political, fiscal, and socio-economic arrangements between Sulu and the national government. Discussions will also focus on the potential impacts of Sulu’s exclusion on both the BARMM and Sulu, addressing governance, economic development, and electoral representation.
Attending the event will be key stakeholders, including members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, BARMM officials, representatives from national government agencies, international donors, civil society groups, and members of the academe.
The forum presents a timely platform to explore future relationships between Sulu and the national government, providing stakeholders with the opportunity to address challenges and build strategies for Sulu’s governance outside the Bangsamoro framework.
