MARAWI CITY (PIA)—The Bangsamoro Government is advancing the rights of all citizens in the region to have fair access to the justice system.
During the first Bangsamoro Tri-Justice Summit held in Cotabato City from February 7–9, the formulation of the Bangsamoro Tri-Justice Framework, particularly in the Regular Justice Courts, Shari'ah Justice Courts, and Traditional or Tribal Justice Courts, was mainly discussed.
Various stakeholders, including Islamic experts, legal luminaries such as lawyers and Shari'ah counselors, and tribal and traditional leaders, attended the summit, which was organized by the Bangsamoro Attorney General's Office (BAGO) in collaboration with the Support to Bangamoro Transition Agency (SUBATRA).
Attorney-General Lawyer Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba said the government of the day urges the Bangsamoro people to support the development of a tri-justice system "where all citizens have equal access to justice and can live in harmony."
"We wanted to harmonize the establishment of the Bangsamoro Justice System so that everyone has equal access to the justice system despite the differences and beliefs of Bangsamoro people," said Alba, who is also a Member of Parliament.
Meanwhile, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said the Bangsamoro Government is looking forward to the creation of the Shari'ah Public Assistance Office, Shari'ah Special Prosecution Service, Shari'ah Academy, and the Office of the Jurisconsult of Islamic Law, in addition to the Shari'ah Courts' expanded authority.
"Indeed, this is another milestone during this transition period of the Bangsamoro Government. I could not imagine a better collection of individuals than who we have here today to discuss and streamline various issues and concerns challenging the various components of our justice system," Chief Minister Ebrahim said.
He stressed that the Organic Law gives the right to the indigenous peoples to apply their own commonly accepted justice systems, conflict resolution institutions, peacebuilding processes or mechanisms, and customary laws and practices within their respective communities, as may be compatible with the existing national legal system and internationally accepted principles on human rights.
Sheikh Maceda Interino, who was there to represent the Office of the Wali, also talked about how important and important the summit could be. He said, "To get fair justice, we need to deal with systemic problems like unfair treatment of marginalized communities, racial and gender bias in the legal system, and unequal access to legal resources."
Interino said as a society, they have a responsibility to ensure that their justice system is fair and just for all citizens, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Also, experts and leaders from different provinces talk about their ideas and experiences for the Bangsamoro Tri-Justice System through meaningful dialogue and a mix of break-out sessions.
Arshad Abdulrahman, one of the participants, representing the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), thanked the Bangsamoro Government for listening and treating people equally regardless of their race, gender, religion, and social status.
"Bilang isang Muslim ay walang hinahangad kundi magkaroon ng pantay-pantay na implementasyon ng justice sapagkat ito ay nakasaad sa banal na Qur'an. Daan ito upang ating maisagawa ang tamang pamamaraan ng justice hindi lamang para sa mga Muslim kundi maging ang mga non-Muslim sa Bangsamoro homeland," Abdulrahman said.
(As Muslims, there is nothing we desire more than the equal implementation of justice because it is stated in the holy Qur'an. This is a way for us to carry out the correct procedure of justice, not only for Muslims but also for non-Muslims in the Bangsamoro homeland)
The summit's consolidated output will take part in the drafting and development of the Bangsamoro Justice Frameworks, which will guide the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament in crafting necessary legislation and in pursuit of moral governance. (BIO/PIA-10/Lanao delSur)
