Photo by Faisal Camsa Jr.
COTABATO CITY—Bangsamoro Government is advancing the rights of all citizens in the region to have fair access to the justice system.
During the first Bangsamoro Tri-Justice Summit held in this city, which started Feb. 7 and will conclude on Feb. 9, the formulation of the Bangsamoro Tri-Justice Framework, particularly in the Regular Justice Courts, Shari’ah Justice Courts, and Traditional or Tribal Justice Courts were mainly discussed.
Various stakeholders, Islamic experts, legal luminaries such as lawyers, Shari’ah counselors, and tribal/traditional leaders convened in the summit led by the Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office (BAGO), in partnership with the Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA).
Attorney-General Lawyer Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba said that the Government of the Day urges the Bangsamoro people to support the development of a Tri-Justice System, “where all citizens have equal access to justice and can live in harmony”.
“We wanted to harmonize the establishment of the Bangsamoro Justice System so that everyone has equal access to the justice system despite the differences and beliefs of Bangsamoro people,” Alba, who is also a Member of Parliament, said.
Meanwhile, BARMM Chief Minster Ahod Ebrahim said aside from the expanded jurisdiction of Shari’ah Courts, the Bangsamoro Government is also looking forward to the creation of the Shari’ah Public Assistance Office, Shari’ah Special Prosecution Service, Shari’ah Academy, and the Office of the Jurisconsult of Islamic Law.
“Indeed, this is another milestone during this transition period of the Bangsamoro Government. I could not imagine a better collection of individuals than who we have here today to discuss and streamline various issues and concerns challenging the various components of our justice system,” Chief Minister Ebrahim said.
“The Organic Law gives the right to the indigenous peoples to apply their own commonly accepted justice systems, conflict resolution institutions, peace building processes or mechanisms, and customary laws and practices within their respective communities and as may be compatible with the existing national legal system and internationally accepted principles on human rights,” he stressed.
Sheikh Maceda Interino, representing the Office of the Wali, also mentioned the crucial and potential impact of the summit on his message support, saying, “to achieve fairness in justice, we need to address systemic issues such as unequal treatment of marginalized communities, racial and gender biases in the legal system, and unequal access to legal resources.”
“As a society, we have a responsibility to ensure that our justice system is fair and just for all citizens, regardless of their background or circumstances,” Interino added.
Also, experts and leaders from different provinces share their ideas and experiences in envisioning the Bangsamoro Tri-Justice System through meaningful dialogue with a combination of break-out sessions.
Arshad Abdulrahman, one of the participants, representing the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), thanked the Bangsamoro Government for listening and treating people equally regardless of their race, gender, religion, and social status.
“Bilang isang Muslim ay walang hinahangad kundi magkaroon ng pantay-pantay na implementasyon ng justice sapagkat ito ay nakasaad sa banal na Qur’an. Daan ito upang ating maisagawa ang tamang pamamaraan ng justice hindi lamang para sa mga Muslim kundi maging ang mga Non-Muslim sa Bangsamoro homeland,” Abdulrahman said.
The summit’s consolidated output will take part in the drafting and development of the Bangsamoro Justice Frameworks, which will guide the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament in crafting necessary legislation and in pursuit of Moral Governance. (Johaira Sahidala/BIO)
