Bangsamoro parliament passes resolution on ad-hoc joint body for Sulu Sea, Moro Gulf

THE BANGSAMORO Parliament has passed a resolution calling for the creation of an ad-hoc body to identify zones of cooperation and ensure the equitable sharing of resources from the Sulu Sea and Moro Gulf between the region and the national government. Anchored on Section 18, Article XIII of Republic Act No. 11054, or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM), the resolution provides for a joint body composed of representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), “and a corresponding number of representatives from appropriate agencies of the Bangsamoro Government.” Based on the resolution, passed July 31, the ad hoc body will also “ensure cooperation and coordination between the National Government and the Bangsamoro Government on the exploration, development and utilization of non-living resources in the subject Zone, and the protection of the indigenous communities’ traditional fishing grounds.” Through the ad hoc body, the BARMM and national governments would formulate policies and regulations that apply for both the Sulu Sea and the Moro Gulf. The proposed body is supposed to start work within 30 days after the ratification of the Organic Law and will cease to operate after it has established the coordinates of the Bangsamoro territorial jurisdiction within the Bangsamoro waters and the zones of joint cooperation. The resolution was drafted by the following Parliament members: Amir Mawallil, Jose Lorena, Nabil Tan, Laisa Masuhud-Alamia, Don Mustapha Loong, Alzad Sattar, Adzfar Usman, Abdulmuhmin Mujahid, and Abraham Burahan. — Tajallih S. Basman