BOL Privilege Speech of Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri

Privilege Speech
Senator JUAN MIGUEL F. ZUBIRI
22 January 2019

Mr. President, sana lalapit na araw ng mga puso, wala ng mas masakit pa kung makatanggap ka ng "no" sa sinusuyo o nililigawan mo. Ikinagagalak ko pong ibalita na ang pinaghirapan natin sa Kongreso, lalu na ditto sa Senado, na Bangsamoro Organic Law, ay sinagot po ng malakas at umaapaw na "YES" vote ng ating mga kapatid na Muslim at Kristiyano sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Mr. President, I am overjoyed to hear this development. Today, with the overwhelming affirmative votes for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, we are finally seeing Mindanao shed its history of conflict and enter an age of peace and progress. Based on the latest partial and unofficial quick count of the Bangsamoro Free Election Movement (BFEM), a COMELEC accredited citizen's arm in the conduct of the plebiscite for the BOL, this is as of last night, the Yes has garnered a total of 657,113 votes as compared to 49,304 of the No in the whole areas of ARMM. The Yes votes is 93% of the total votes cast, while the No is a measly 7%. The voter turn-out is estimated conservatively at 70% which, if the data we gathered is correct, is the highest voter turn-out among the 1989, 2001 and 2019 plebiscites for the Organic Law in ARMM.

Even in Cotabato City, it was a convincing win for the Yes votes which the latest tally of BFEM, shows 34,858 voted Yes and 21,757 voted No--or 61% for Yes and 39% for No of the total votes cast.

Thus, our fear of where to put the capital of the BARMM if Cotabato City voted No, as the Law specified that it shall be inside the BARMM area, was doused as the current capital of ARMM or the ORG compound has already a well-developed infrastructure.

With the exception of Isabela City and Sulu Province, which current results show that the No votes has a very slim margin over the Yes votes, all other provinces and cities in the current ARMM have resoundingly voted Yes in the plebiscite. If we will base it on the plebiscite trend, a result of more than 90% of the votes cast voted in favor of the BOL as against to less than 10% who voted No.

We have been anticipating this YES vote for the Bangsamoro Organic Law in ARMM, and we are happy to see it coming into reality. Today we witnessed an exceptionally high voter turnout of at least 70 percent of registered voters, and for that, I congratulate the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and the Comelec for their serious efforts at intensive dissemination of information in all affected political units and sectoral organizations. We know that our brothers and sisters in Muslim Mindanao will choose the path of just, lasting and dignified peace.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law will put an end to the cycle of war and destruction that Muslim Mindanao has suffered for more than a hundred years. We want the whole of Mindanao, both Muslim and non-Muslim areas, to be in step with the rest of the Philippines and attain prosperity and liberties to the extent that they can implement their aspirations with the help of the National Government and within the bounds of our Constitution.

Nagagalak po ako, at tayong lahat sa Senado, na maging bahagi ng makasaysayang araw na ito, na malaki ang magiging papel ng ratipikasyon na ito sa kinabukasan, di lamang ng Muslim Mindanao, kundi sa kabuuan ng Mindanao. Matagal nang inaasam ng mga kababayan natin sa Mindanao ang araw na ito na marami ang nag-akala na di na nila maaabutan. Umaasa akong sa ilalim ng BOL, tuloy-tuloy na nating makakamit ang kapayapaan para sa ikauunlad ng Mindanao at ng buong bansa. I thank my fellow Mindanawon, former Senate President Koko Pimentel, and all of you my dear colleagues, who trusted me to shepherd this law in the Senate and during the Bicameral Conference Committee.

Nagpapasalamat tayo, higit sa lahat, sa mga karaniwang tao na nag-ambag-ambag ng kanilang mga resources at naglaan ng panahon para suportahan ang ratipikasyon ng BOL, at sa lahat po ng tumulong sa tagumpay na ito.

May we also dedicate this triumph also to the 120,000 Filipino soldiers, MILF and MNLF fighters, civilians and other victims who died during the more than four decades of war and conflict in Mindanao. The words of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal in his novel "Noli Me Tangere" aptly echoes their pleas - "I will die without seeing the dawn of the country of my birth. You who witness this, do not forget those who fell in the darkness of the night." (Tagalog translation: Mamamatay ako ng hindi na silayan ang bukang-liwayway sa aking lupang sinilangan. Kayong makakakita nito, huwag niyo sanang kalimutan ang mga namatay sa kadiliman ng gabi.)

Indeed, it is a new dawn of just and dignified peace in Mindanao. A new dawn of prosperity and economic development, a new era of transparent and accountable governance. And I am thankful that we in the Senate, once again stood, on the right side of history.

Thank you Mr. President.