October 15 will be a historic day if we will proceed with deep conviction on what has been inked. The framework agreement signed in Malacanan Palace is just a roadmap. Thanks to the infomap, we now understand clearly the key steps leading to the new political entity. I am idealistic when it comes to what unites us all, I'm pragmatic when it comes to what can be done in order to keep the peace. It's like what our honorable ulama would often say, unite of the fundamentals and tolerate the branchial differences.
While peace is an altruistic value, it can be operationalize depending on how open and inclusive and drive the succeeding processes will be. I like the idea that the President mention about involvement of OTHER stakeholders, the voices unrepresented or underrepresented in the negotiating table. The interests and stakes is so much that we all have to be patient and persistent.
Most of us joined in the euphoria over the agreement. For us who've been affected by the second longest running conflict in the world know better what is the alternative to this agreement. We have spent so much time, effort and resources; lost lives and properties, and destroyed households and relationships; that we settle for a pragmatic approach. Did we reach the level of "war fatigue" that we will settle for anything as the critics would have it?
I am more concerned about platforms, where voices are heard, concensus are reached, and diversity tolerated. Here is where the openness, inclusitivity and representation operate. In the formation of a public policy, the leaders facilitate, the people speak. Let there be enough of these platforms for peoples and sectors to speak. So that at the end of the day, what is formed is ownership of what will become.
Public engagement is crucial. We can not leave an important process such as the transition to Bangsamoro to our leaders alone. The people, as sovereigns in a democracy need to articulate and chart our collective destiny.
As a son and a grandson, I long to see the idealism of our forebears enjoyed by us. As a husband and a father, I would like to enjoy them now with my family. We have suffered for long, we need some quick wins now. As a Moro and member of the larger society, I would like this to be the inheritance of the succeeding generations, a Bangsamoro better than what we have inherited and they can be proud of and respected by the whole world.
But I also understand that such will not come in a click. We can't also leave it to others to do it for us. Such will not come if Moros will start valuing personal, familial, clan and ethnic interests over the larger Moro altruism. Here's what is ironic, in the face of an outside enemy we are united, in the absence of it, we squabble like kids?! When we are powerless we raise the flag of jihad, then when we are in power we keep at bay and do our selfish things and raise it again when we are remove from power?!
What ails ARMM more that its structural and political flaws, will continue to haunt the next. Moving towards Bangsamoro is akin to the transition from lesser to greater jihad. We are reminded by our Prophet Muhammad (saw), the greater struggle is Jihad al-Nafs, the internal struggle. The ARMM experiment has enough lessons on missed transformation - As we govern ourselves as an institution, we failed to transform as a society and as individuals. This is the other half of the failed experiment.
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