Abbas: I’m duty-bound to continue congress despite setback

By Frank E. Dosdos, Jr
Correspondent

ILIGAN City — The founding chairman of Bangsa Mranaw Congress (BMC) has belied reports circulated on social media that he had resigned from the BMC which had held a successful and well-attended two-day assembly here from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1.

Lawyer Firdausi I. Y. Abbas, PhD, Sultan of Ranaw (Lanao), said in a statement from Amsterdam, that a group of a few BMC officers “caused my taking distance from the Bangsa Mranaw Congress which I conceived and organized when in my absence they held press conferences without my knowledge and definitely without my consent.”

He said: “They announced resolutions as passed without my imprimatur as chairman and some alleged resolutions were not even passed in the BMC. They continue to usurp authority and present themselves as officers, when, in fact, I merely designated them.”

“I am duty bound to continue the BMC despite these setbacks. I owe it to the participants and to our people,” Sultan Abbas said.

He said the BMC will be playing a significant role in the rebuilding of Marawi and “only those who are sincere, honest and competent without personal interest can be a part of the BMC.”

Sultan Abbas said by January, European Union officials, after meeting them lately, decided to visit Marawi and give financial assistance.

“We will do our best to assure that the victims of the Marawi tragedy will receive this assistance and not government officials or agencies or NGOs linked to government agencies,” he pointed out, adding that, “We must also be assured that the Ulamas, Sultans, ethnic artisans from Tugaya will sit in the Marawi Rehabilitation Committee.”

Abbas said with his imprimatur, IDs will be issued to participants in the first BMC as “legitimate members.”

He advised those who attended the first congress, since participants were not registered by the secretariat, to kindly register with Dean Masiding Yahya, duly appointed Chair of Media Affairs and designated acting Chair of the Membership Committee.

“I honor the sincere Mranaws who are with us who likewise render sacrifice but I detest those who push their personal interests above that of the BMC and betray our cause,” he said.