Repeal or Revoke the ARMM and the NCMF

Article III, Section 5 of the Philippine Constitution States: “No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion,.." Yet this form of federalism which has a built in Bangsamoro Islamic State is pushed by Duterte and his supporters. The Bangsamoro is a Nation of Muslims. Muslims are the followers of Islam. The Sharia Law which will rule supreme over the Bangsamoro Islamic State is a law that respects the religion of Islam. Our constitution specifically says "No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion" What part of this doesn't anybody understand? Only those who favor Islam will support an Islamic Bangsamoro State. Only those who favor Islam will support this type of Federalism. (Article II, Section 6) of Philippine constitution states: "The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable." Creation of the Bangsamoro Islamic State will violate this. Article 6, section 29 (2): states "No public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or employed, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution, or system of religion.." If anyone reading this understand any portion of these words of the constitution, will understand that the existence of the Bangsamoro Islamic State in the Philippines violates the constitution of the Philippines.

Revoke the ARMM and the NCMF. They are both unconstitutional whose only purpose is the serve the Moros(Muslims). They are prejudicial and they both violate the human rights of the rest of the non-muslim citizens of the Philippines. The word "Muslim" appears in the 1987 constitution 3 times. And all 3 times it refers to Mindanao as "Muslim Mindanao". Muslims(Moros) are the followers of the religion of Islam. They are not indigenous people, or an ethnicity and not even a race. So why does the 1987 constitution refer to Mindanao as Muslim Mindanao?

1. The Philippines violates the preamble of the constitution: "We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution."
   • It violates the principle of equality by putting one religion above others
2. (Article II, Section 6): "The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable."
3. (Article III, Section 5): "No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights."
4. Article 6, section 29 (2): states "No public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or employed, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution, or system of religion.."

The Philippine government violates all 4 points.

Currently the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur are within the ARMM region. After the revocation of the ARMM another region in its place called the "Sulu Region" will replace the ARMM.

The following provinces will be assigned to the "Sulu Region": The provinces of Basilan , Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

The province of Lanao del Sur will transferred to Region X (N. Mindanao), and the province of Maguindanao will be transferred to Soccsksargen (Region 12).

After the revocation of the NCMF, it will be replaced by the official and existing non-religions government organization that represents without prejudice all the indigenous peoples, the NCIP.

• The only purpose of the NCMF is to serve the Muslim communities in the Philippines. It's mandate from the president of the Philippines is to spread Islam throughout the Philippines and help build mosques. Every year over 4,000 muslims are paid by the Philippine government through the NCMF to make their journey to Mecca for the Hajj to create Hajis and Hajas.

To reiterate: Muslims are not indigenous people.

Uphold the NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples): Create Stewardship over Ancestral Lands

The NCIP was created to be the guardian of the Indigenous peoples of the Philippines. It was created to protect the ancestral lands of the indigenous peoples and to protect the "Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title" that belong to indigenous clans or families.

Each indigenous tribe of the Philippines must be granted absolute stewardship over certain territories or ancestral lands. The NCIP will have the authority to reconcile or arbitrate over claims. Religion must be kept out of the equation. Let the decisions be made strictly based on tribal claims and not religious claims.

Within the designated stewardship territory for a specific indigenous tribe, certain families within the tribe with "Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title" may continue to keep the land within their clan. Religion will never be part of the equation for stewardship or "Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title", only proof of tribal heritage or ancestry as specified in Republic Act 8371 chapter II section 3.

These various indigenous tribes since time immemorial have lived and cultivated the lands they occupy. These lands will be in the stewardship of the tribe. Ancestral lands will be in the stewardship of the tribe who has claim over it since time immemorial. Transfer of any property ownership within the stewardship will follow the same laws of the Philippines but the land continues to be within the stewardship of the tribe.

This stewardship over territories will apply throughout the Philippines (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao).

As an example certain barangays within a municipality may be within the ancestral land of a certain indigenous tribe. That tribe will then be given the rightful stewardship of that ancestral land. All private properties within the ancestral land will still continue to be owned by the title holders. But the tribe that has stewardship over the land will receive dividends from taxes collected from the land, which will be recorded by the NCIP (only as a monitor). The ultimate beneficiary will be the tribal stewardship. Tribal members with proven residence within the ancestral land may receive dividends in forms of educational scholarships.

The ARMM robbed the indigenous people. The ancestral lands of the indigenous people within the provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur were taken away from the indigenous people and were given to the Muslims. The Muslims have autonomy over these lands now. The government and the muslims cheated the indigenous people. Ancestral lands in the Philippines should never belong to any religion.

There is no need for the ARMM or the NCMF. Abolish the idea of giving autonomy to any religion or specifically to the religion of Islam. Give what is due to the indigenous peoples of the Philippines.