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On Sulu’s exclusion from BARRM: Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito Estrada, chairperson of the Committee on Local Government, presides over the public consultation Wednesday, January 5, 2025 on Senate Bil No. (SBN) 2915 filed by Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, and SBN 2820 filed by Sen. Robinhood Padilla. SBN 2915 proposes the inclusion of the Province of Sulu in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The measure requires the conduct of a plebiscite to allow the Sulu constituents to vote on their inclusion in the region and mandates the Commission on Elections to determine the question to be presented to voters during the plebiscite. SBN 2820, on the other hand, proposes to amend Section 8 of RA 11054 by removing the Philippine bar requirement in the appointment of judges in the Shari’ah Circuit Court. “We want peace in Mindanao. As I mentioned so many times, Mindanao has suffered because of the conflict, the strife for several years. “Many formulas have already been tried. For several decades, there have been all-out wars. But now that we have passed the Bangsamoro Organic Law, hopefully, this will be the instrument for lasting peace for Mindanao,” Ejercito said. “We are gathered here today with one thing in mind -- to achieve genuine and lasting peace in Mindanao through development,” the senator added, pointing out that infrastructure development would spread the development in the provinces, give jobs and opportunities to the Bangsamoro people. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)