MILF to accept diluted Bangsamoro law

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday said it can accept a diluted form of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, but warned that it will not address problems in Mindanao.

Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF's chief negotiator, said that the MILF will only reject a law that do more harm than good to communities that ought to benefit from it.

Iqbal said, however, that the group trusts Congress to enact the bill without revisions.

"I trust the collective wisdom of Congress to pass good legislation in the form of the Bangsamoro Basic Law," Iqbal told reporters in a press conference at the officers' club of the Army's 6th Infantry Division in Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

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Iqbal also vowed that the MILF will choose to take the path of peace even after the government abandons the Bangsamoro process as a consequence of the January 25 bloodshed in Mamasapano between police commandos and Moro rebels

"There is no option, but the option is peace," Iqbal said.

Iqbal said a diluted form of BBL will only encourage many sectors to disengage from the peace process and foment more discontent among groups that have warned them not to indulge in a peace process with government.

The security situation in Mindanao, moreover, will not be solved by a weaker BBL, he said.

"Patuloy and problema dito sa Mindanao because the solution, the supposed medicine was not administered, hindi naibigay," Iqbal said.

Also present in the press conference were Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles, GPH chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Gregorio Catapang, Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and ranking military officials.