By NONOY E. LACSON
Manila BulletinJOLO, Sulu – At least six Muslim lawmakers have appealed to the Aquino government to give due recognition and position in government service to qualified Muslim residents of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as granted and stipulated in some of the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9054 or the ARMM Organic Act.
The assertion of Rep. Habib Tupay T. Loong (1st District, Sulu), chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs, along with committee members Reps. Jim Saliman-Hataman of Basilan, Raden Sakaluran of Sultan Kudarat, Nur Jaafar of Tawi-Tawi, Nur Ana Sahidulla (2nd District, Sulu), and Bai Sandra Sema of Maguindanao, was coursed through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa during a recent meeting at Malacañang in Manila.
Loong said Ochoa cordially responded positively in principle to give due course to their appeal and their sentiments as he vowed to brief President Aquino on their assertions under RA 9054.
The Mindanao solons said the national government might have overlooked some provisions of RA 9054 that grant qualified Muslim residents of ARMM the opportunity to occupy senior positions in government service.
“We do respect the prerogatives of our President on his appointed Cabinet officials, who are of remarkable record,” they said.
“But Articles 4, 5, and 8 of RA 9054 also granted us the courtesy through the regional governor to recommend to the national government at least 10 Ambassadorial positions to Muslim countries, one national Department Secretary position from among us Muslim Filipinos, besides the Secretary post under the newly created National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, one Board of Director in all government-owned and controlled corporations, one Undersecretary or Assistant Secretary appointed to every National Department, and one Justice in the Supreme Court,” Loong pointed out.
Loong further said that “in our meeting in Malacañang, we also asserted the flight of the Muslim Filipinos to participate in national governance based on Republic Act 9054.”
We reminded our present administration on the provisions of the Organic Act that give Muslim Filipinos the right to be represented in the central government, he said.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/275675/solons-appeal-recognition-armm-muslim-residents