The Supreme Court (SC) declared the Province of Sulu as not part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after the province rejected the ratification of Republic Act No. 11054 or the Organic Law for BARMM (Bangsamoro Organic Law).
According to the SC, the Bangsamoro Organic Law established BARMM as a political entity and its corresponding basic governmental structure. The law’s creation and determination of its ‘territorial jurisdiction’ would take effect upon its ratification through direct voting by the state's electorate. It was enacted on July 27, 2018.
On January 21, 2019, the voting process was conducted in the areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Isabela City in Basilan, and Cotabato City. Moreover, another referendum was held on February 6, 2019, in Lanao del Norte, municipalities in North Cotabato, and other areas that petitioned for voluntary inclusion.
Results from the poll showed that majority of the ARMM ratified the law, except for Sulu. However, the latter’s inclusion to BARMM was later revoked as majority did not approve of the decision.
“The Court ruled that the Bangsamoro Organic Law is constitutional because it does not make BARMM a separate state from the Philippines. The Law did not give it the power to enter into relations with other states, nor did it grant the BARMM its sovereignty. Matters of national defense and security, citizenship, foreign policy, and foreign trade remain with the national government,” the Supreme Court said.
The SC also said that the autonomous region is not prohibited from prescribing a different form of government, as long as it upholds the democratic principles of the national government.
“As Sulu rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law in the plebiscite, it was wrong to include the province in BARMM,” the Supreme Court stressed.
