COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 27 February)— An initial P500-million fund coming from the office of the chief minister will finance allowances for former Moro combatants who are already senior citizens or permanently disabled.
Mujahideen in Lanao del Sur in the 1980s. MindaNews file photo by BOBBY TIMONERA
This was after the Bangsamoro Parliament approved a measure to establish an office that will provide financial aid to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) mujahideen.
The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Bill No. 44 received 41 affirmative votes and no negative votes or abstentions when it was passed on Monday.
Under the bill, qualified recipients will receive a lump sum of P84,000 in the first year of implementation. “They will then be entitled to a minimum monthly aid of P7,000,” to be released quarterly in the subsequent years, according to a statement posted in the BTA website.
The newly created Office of the Bangsamoro Mujahideen Under Special Circumstance (OBMUSC) will oversee the implementation of the program.
The bill will get its initial funding from the Office of the Chief Minister, Ahod Balawag “Murad” Ebrahim.
The eligibility criteria outlined in the bill include mujahideen who participated in the struggle for the right to self-determination of the Bangsamoro people between 1969 and 2014 for a minimum of 20 years.
These individuals must also belong to the underprivileged sector.
Engr. Aida Silongan, chairman of the Committee on Social Services and Development, highlighted the necessity of reciprocating the sacrifices of the mujahideen through recognition, respect, and the allocation of the necessary support.
“A lot of mujahideen sacrificed their time and a lot of lives were lost just for the sake of Bangsamoro welfare,” Silongan said, recognizing the long period during which the mujahideen dedicated their lives to the cause.
“It is a tangible expression of our gratitude, a gesture of solidarity with the families who bore the brunt of our collective struggle, this legacy bill would give justice for the sacrifices and determination of our Bangsamoro Mujahideen,” according to Member of Parliament Baileng Mantawil.
She reiterated the Parliament’s commitment to providing a tangible form of assistance to the mujahideen, emphasizing the importance of ensuring their well-being and those of their families.
“By providing this form of assistance, we reassure our mujahideen and mujahidaat and their families that we are not leaving them behind, but rather, we are giving them the opportunity to lead dignified and fulfilling lives,” Silongan added. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)