Voters in Sanggadong Elementary School in Kabacan, North Cotabato await their turn to vote in the plebiscite to ratify the creation of eight new towns in the Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on April 13, 2024. File photo / CCCA-Early Response Network
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 03 December) – The League of Bangsamoro Organizations (LBO), a broad coalition of 600 civil society organizations (CSOs) within and outside the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), backed the proposal of Senator Robinhood Padilla to create Kutawato Province, which will be part of the Bangsamoro region.
“We, the League of Bangsamoro Organizations, call on the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass (a bill) creating Kutawato Province. This historic legislation will address long-standing governance and developmental gaps in the SGA (Special Geographic Area) while further solidifying BARMM’s institutional framework,” the group said in a statement.
Under Senate Bill 2875, Kutawato province would be made up of the eight towns in the Bangsamoro region’s SGA. These towns were created from the 63 villages in six towns of North Cotabato that opted to join BARMM during the 2019 plebiscite.
“Senate Bill 2875 aims to establish Kutawato Province as a distinct political and administrative entity within BARMM, ensuring that it operates under the governance framework of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) with full representation in the BARMM Parliament,” said Hashim Manticayan, LBO president.
The creation of Kutawato Province is essential for enhancing governance and service delivery, he added.
It will also strengthen political representation by empowering the residents of the SGA with a distinct political identity and representation, according to the group.
“It must follow the procedures outlined in the Local Governance Code and the BOL. The basic criteria as well as the procedures laid down by the law must be followed,” Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo, former Minister of the Interior and Local Government – BARMM, said.
Sinarimbo is now one of the coordinators of the Serbisyong Inklusibo Alyansang Progresibo (SIAP), an accredited regional political party in the Bangsamoro region, in SGA-BARMM.
“Establishing Kutawato Province will decentralize administration and ensure that services reach even the most remote areas, fostering equity and inclusivity,” Samsodin Amella, LBO spokesperson, said.
“This ensures that their voices are adequately heard in decision-making processes at both the regional and national levels,” he added.
While the LBO supports Padilla’s bill to create Kutawato Province, this group opposed his proposal creating the BaSulTa (Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) region, to be carved out of the present BARMM, after the Supreme Court ruled that Sulu is not part of the Bangsamoro region. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
