By Amal-Ryan Rinabor
Davao Today Intern
Davao City – Thousands gathered in Rizal Park, this city, Sunday to join a Mindanao-wide activity to call on Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
Organizers of the Mindanao Alliance for Peace said over 5,000 people coming from 32 Bangsamoro Civil Society Groups and Non-Government Organizations participated in Davao’s peace rally aimed at pressuring Congress for an early passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
“This is one of the manifestations of people’s support on the passage of Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). This is to inform Congress that the BBL should be signed without any unnecessary delay so that a plebiscite’s ratification can be held within this year,” said Sammy Buat, regional coordinator of Mindanao Alliance for Peace.
Dondon Bazali, who came from Davao Oriental said “the BBL has in its interest the brighter future in Mindanao, that’s why lawmakers should not delay its approval.”
Most ordinary folks who joined the activity hope that their lives will be improved under the BBL. A participant told Davao Today, said that “inaasahan namin ang pangako sa amin ng Bangsamoro government na libreng pabahay at maraming trabaho (we are expecting to get from the Bangsamoro government its promise of free housing and more jobs).”
The pro-MILF rallies drew heavy crowds elsewhere in Mindanao, according to luwaran.com (the official website of the MILF Central Committee), citing total number of participants in Cotabato City at 42,000 participants, in Marawi City at 17,000, Tacurong City at 60,000, General Santos City at 5,000, Pagadian City at 5,000, Isabela-7,000, Pikit, North Cotabato at 38,850, Baloi, Lanao del Norte at 14,000, Jolo, Sulu at 3,000, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi at 2,000 participants, and in Batasan, Quezon City. (davaotoday.com)
