Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office Embarks on International Study Tour in Brunei Darussalam

Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam H.E. Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio (center) poses for a picture with the head of delegation, Attorney General Sha Elijah B. Dumama-Alba (left center), Director General Mohajirin T. Ali (right center), and the rest of the delegation. (Brunei PE photo)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 29 May 2023 – Delegates from the Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office (BAGO), headed by Attorney General Sha Elijah B. Dumama-Alba, conducted an international study tour in Brunei Darussalam from 13 to 18 May 2023. The 14-member delegation included lawyers and staff from BAGO, the Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA), and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

The study tour aims to enhance BAGO’s capability and skills in the delivery of its statutory mandates by visiting government offices in the Sultanate performing similar or related functions to BAGO to observe and learn from their best practices. 

The program commenced with a call on the Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam H.E. Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio.  The meeting highlighted the importance of institution-to-institution exchanges such as this study tour in deepening bilateral ties.

“I hope that this study tour will give way to more opportunities for collaboration on other areas of cooperation between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam.” said the Ambassador.

The delegates met with members of the Legislative Council of Brunei Darussalam, headed by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan bin Begawan Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusof. BAGO delegates discussed the legislative proceedings of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and inquired on how these compare to the practice in Brunei. They also discussed the functions of the Legislative Council and the practices and procedures of the deliberation and passing of bills in the Sultanate.

During their visit to the Brunei Syariah Court, the delegates were welcomed by His Honour, Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Awang Hj Salim bin Awang Besar, Chief Justice Syar'ie. They were briefed on the functions, jurisdiction, and the applied laws of the Syariah Court.

Brunei Darussalam implements a dual legal system based on the Syariah Law and Common Law.

The delegates also called on Yang Mulia Awang Haji Mohammad Rosli bin Haji Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, followed by a briefing session on the Brunei Legal System and overview and implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order.

To cap off the study tour, the delegates had an opportunity to meet their counterparts at the Attorney General’s Chambers of Brunei Darussalam. The Brunei delegation was headed by Acting Attorney General, Solicitor General Hajah Zuraini binti Haji Sharbawi, who expressed eagerness to provide assistance and to work closely with BAGO in the future. The delegates were also able to appreciate the functions and organizational structure of the Attorney General’s Chambers of Brunei Darussalam and the Brunei dual legal system of Civil and Syariah Laws. 

In her remarks, Attorney General Sha Elijah B. Dumama-Alba emphasized that it is the Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office’s duty to develop and formulate a framework that would encapsulate the BARMM tri-justice system, a pillar of which is the Syariah Law. 

“We hope that we can collaborate, exchange and expand our network through correspondence so that we can implement Syariah and give the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao the identity of Islamic governance.” the Attorney General added.            

The BAGO is created by virtue of Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 5 or the “Bangsamoro Attorney-General’s Office Act of 2019” and BAA No. 13 or the “Bangsamoro Administrative Code”. It serves as the chief legal counsel of the Bangsamoro Government. The study tour was funded by the European Union through SUBATRA. END

Attorney General Sha Elijah B. Dumama-Alba and Solicitor General Hajah Zuraini binti Haji Sharbawi pose for a photo with the Delegates from the Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office and officials of the Attorney General’s Chambers of Brunei Darussalam. (Brunei PE photo)

Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam H.E. Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio welcomes the delegates upon their arrival in Brunei Darussalam. (Brunei PE photo)

The BAGO Delegates present a token during their call on the Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam H.E. Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio. (Brunei PE photo) 

The delegates, led by Attorney Najihah P Masacal-Moslem, Division Chief, Legal Research and Opinion Division, Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office, and Members of the Legislative Council of Brunei Darussalam, headed by headed by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan bin Begawan Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusof discuss the functions of the Legislative Council and the practices and procedures of the deliberation and passing of bills in the Sultanate. (Brunei PE photo) 

The delegates pose for a photo with the Members of the Legislative Council of Brunei Darussalam during the tour of the Legislative Council Chamber Hall. (Brunei PE photo)

BAGO delegates pose for a photo with His Honour, Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Awang Hj Salim bin Awang Besar, Chief Justice Syar'ie, and other Syar'ie Justices during their visit to the Brunei Syariah Court. (Brunei PE photo) 

Visit to a Syariah Chamber’s Court. (Brunei PE photo) 

Visit to the Syariah Court Services Counters. (Brunei PE photo)

Briefing session with the Ministry of Religious Affairs on the Brunei Legal System and overview and implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order. (Brunei PE photo)

Visit to the Attorney General’s Chambers Library. (Brunei PE photo)

Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam H.E. Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio hosts a lunch in honor of the BAGO delegates. (Brunei PE photo)

Consul General Pete Raymond V. Delfin sends off the delegates after a successful 5-day study tour in Brunei Darussalam. (Brunei PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.bruneipe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassybrunei.org, or https://www.facebook.com/PHinBrunei/, https://twitter.com/PHinBrunei, or https://www.instagram.com/phinbrunei/.