By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 17 (PNA) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte urged Southern Leyte residents to help Mindanao achieve peace by endorsing the Federal System of Government, which will also effectively works with the Muslims’ problem in realizing their dream of self-rule.
He implied that the Mindanao conflict is seemingly volatile given the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) provisions that are not yet approve as it still needs to be deliberately reviewed in Congress.
Duterte claimed that the approval of BBL will inevitably create waves of reactions from other groups of Filipinos and tribes in Mindanao and other parts of the country asking for same provisions working on their favor for self-autonomy.
The mayor also feared for the impulsive claim that if the BBL will not be approved, there will be bloody war. “If in this case the warning will be materialized, Davao City will become one of the battlegrounds”.
On the other hand, Duterte, an advocate of peace, admitted that it’s hard for him to take sides either-Christians or Muslims-since one of his daughters got married to a Muslim-Tausog, thus producing for himself some Muslims grandchildren.
The iron-fisted Mayor, who visited this city on Thursday, revealed that aged-old conflict in Mindanao has its roots in the past at the start of the 400 years of Spanish rule in the Philippines.
He further disclosed that some different Muslim tribes in Mindanao cannot even agree with each other and that the granting of self-governance of the Federal system of Government in the provinces of Mindanao would be the effective measure in achieving peace.
Meanwhile, he also reminded the constituency not to believe in rating surveys but “to vote for somebody who can solve our problems.”
“When a President is elected there should be a constitutional convention for the purpose of reconfiguring the 1987 Consititution, adding that class legislation favoring an organization or sect is prohibited in the present existing Constitution,” he explained.
Without being asked, he confessed he is not interested in the seat of Presidency since he has no money to spend in the nationwide campaign sorties. Besides he is shy to ask for financial help from anyone.
Nevertheless, he is hopeful that with the series of tour to different cities in Mindanao,Visayas and some would be in Luzon, which he has started lately in Pangasinan, his federalism campaign awareness will gain some foothold in the peace-minded government officials.
Duterte arrived by helicopter at the Maasin port where he was met by local officials led by Gov. Roger Mercado, Rep. Damian Mercado and Mayor Maloney Samaco. His relatives from the Roa clan who had their reunion that day also joined in welcoming the mayor.
He was ushered by a motorcade to the Maasin City Hall where he spoke before past and present village chairmen from the city’s 70 villages. (PNA)