One of the advantages of being an octogenarian is we keep our cool amid the furor around us. We are free of sudden emotional outbursts. We have lived long enough and been subjected to countless trials in life to keep our peace amid controversies. And we usually allow mistakes with a “devil may care” attitude. But when we react, it means that our tolerance has reached its limit.

Last week, the remote town of Wao in Lanao del Sur, a bustling municipality that borders Bukidnon province, was in the news. It is so far from the capital, Marawi City, that before the new shorter road was constructed (thanks to the initiative of Governor Mamintal Bombit Adiong), a traveler from Marawi had to traverse the coastal provinces of Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon and the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. History notes that it was the scene of sanguinary battles between Christian settlers and Moro natives who felt they were being deprived of the possession and titles over their ancestral lands.

But since then, there has been amity between them after they settled their differences peacefully. Wao has become a social laboratory and a showcase proving that if two peoples freed themselves of bigotry, bias and distrust and coexisted peacefully, progress would not be far behind.

Now, an attempt to break this social harmony was made by no less than a member of the interim Regional Parliament or Bangsamoro Transition Authority of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

A bill was filed to partition the town again. The proposal would take the barangays populated by Muslims to form a new town (Saripada), leaving Wao with the Christian-dominated barangays. It would be gerrymandering a town that had previously been gerrymandered — from which the town of Amai Manabilang was chipped off. And to think that the bill’s sponsor is not even a resident of the place.

This has stirred a hornet’s nest and agitated the residents, who held a massive rally of Muslims and Christians to show their indignation and condemnation of the move.

The bill is alarming. It is divisive — no ifs, ands, or buts about it. At a time when our country and people need to be united to face the daily grind of life and the problems confronting us, the last thing we need is that kind of measure. It might rekindle the social distrust and enmity between Muslims and Christians, circa 1970s. It will set back the labors of the peace campaigners and rub salt on the old wounds of the bitter past.

Where is the sponsor coming from? Does he know that the bedrock of democracy is the will of the people as the sovereigns? Ergo, the initiative must come from the residents and not be imposed by charlatans or wolves in sheep’s clothing. Is he equipped with the Board Resolutions of the Sangguniang Barangays, Bayan, and Panlalawigan (province) in support of the partition? Did he hold consultations with the residents of the affected barangays? Is there an ulterior motive camouflaged in the text of the bill? Doesn’t he have other sensible things to do?  The bill defies logic. 

The bill is ill-advised and should be recalled pronto or thrown into the dustbin where it belongs.  If this is the kind of measure that the BTA will churn out, then pity the Moros — they should prepare for more anti-social and anti-peace measures.

It’s a good thing we have highly educated, sensible, and mature parliamentarians like MP Rasol Metmug Jr., former Speaker of the defunct Regional Legislative Assembly, and MP Rasul Ismael, who is known to the residents. They went to Wao to listen to the residents’ indignation and committed to opposing the proposed bill. A Muslim professional, engineer Rashdi Adiong, a resident of Wao, likewise spoke and expressed the collective opposition.

The leadership of the transiting BTA and BARMM should shoot down the bill, as it is undemocratic and socially reprehensible.

amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com