By Edwin Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua and BARMM Interior Minister Jodan Bayam said Wednesday that they asked Justice Secretary Frederick A. Vida to appoint a special prosecutor for the region’s Special Geographic Area (SGA) to ensure justice for all.
Macacua and Bayam specifically sought the designation of an acting prosecutor for the SGA, citing the need to ensure residents have access to essential prosecutor services without difficulty.
“This would ensure communities have access to justice and give former Moro combatants more opportunities to rebuild their lives,” Bayam said in a statement.
These were among the key issues raised by Macacua and Bayam during a high-level dialogue with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Gen. Santos City on Tuesday.
Bayam stressed that the presence of a prosecutor in the area would help address gaps in the justice system, streamline case handling, and strengthen the government’s ability to uphold the rule of law and protect communities.
He also appealed to the national government, through the DOJ, to extend the Amnesty Program to qualified former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
He said that giving former combatants more time to process their amnesty applications would allow them to submit the required documentation and move forward with their reintegration into peaceful civilian life.
Aside from Vida, also present during the dialogue were NBI Director Melvin A. Matibag, Macacua, Bayam, members of the BARMM delegation, and local executives from Mindanao.
The dialogue aimed to strengthen justice and the rule of law across the region.
Vida told BARMM officials that their requests are seriously considered.
SGA-BARMM comprises eight towns in North Cotabato that joined the autonomous setup. It has yet to be constituted as a provincial local government unit, making it BARMM’s sixth province. (PNA)
