By Edwin O. Fernandez
COTABATO CITY, Dec 2 (PNA) — No other way but up. With this in mind, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Monday assured the Bangsamoro people it will surpass the efficiency in management of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) once the new political entity shall have replaced the current government set up.
Mohaqher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator and chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, said the new political entity, to be called Bangsamoro government, will continue the unfinished peace and development projects implemented by ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman.
Currently, the enabling law about the Bangsamoro government is pending in Congress but expected to be passed and eventually become the Bangsamoro Basic Law to replace the current ARMM set up.
“We will continue all the projects of the ARMM and all its programs benefiting all people in the region,” Iqbal told a news conference after Hataman, delivered his “last” State of the Region Address (SORA) Monday afternoon.
Iqbal, Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles were among the special guests during the SORA at the ARMM’s Sharif Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City.
In his SORA, Hataman said he will be turning over to the Bangsamoro government an “healthy” regional government with record high investments, costly peace and development projects and reformed bureaucracy.
In the presence of Hataman and Deles, Iqbal said the projects and humanitarian programs initiated by Hataman administration will fast track the efforts of the government and the MILF to foster peace and development in the proposed Bangsamoro government.
ARMM is composed of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
“We can assure the public that the Bangsamoro will continue these projects and do its best to be at par if not surpass the performance of the present ARMM administration,” Iqbal said in Filipino.
The chair of the BTC which will take over ARMM next year said he was elated at Hataman’s assurance all the current ARMM officials will officially turn over the posts to the commission.
Hataman’s fiscal reforms resulted in the savings of more than Php1-billion in government funds because of transparent and effective project implementation.
Given the moniker as “ghostbuster” by President Aquino, Hataman succeeded in “cleansing the ARMM government with corrupt, unfit and anomalous transactions,” including “ghost” employees, teachers, students, schools, projects and government positions.
He said the successful reform programs were made possible with the help of ARMM officials and employees, including the civil society organizations which served as ‘watchdog’ in the reforms he instituted. (PNA)