House, MILF tackle peace process bills

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – Transition Commission and leaders of the House of Representatives have started discussing the peace process, which is now in its final stages.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. led other House leaders in welcoming the members of the commission, led by Mohagher Igbal, who visited the Batasang Pambansa for the first time.

Accompanying Iqbal were Commissioners Robert Alonto, Ibrahim Ali, Talib Benito, Abdulla Camlian, Pedrito Eisma, Raissa Jajurie, Froilyn Mendoza, Hussein Muñoz, Akmad Sakkam, Fatmawati Salapuddin, Said Shiek, Asani Tammang, Timuay Melanio Ulama, and Jun Matawil, chairman of the MILF negotiating panel secretariat.

The meeting on Wednesday was held behind closed doors and lasted for over an hour, ending at around 4:15 p.m.

Jajurie, chairperson of the committee on fiscal autonomy of the commission, welcomed the House’s commitment to support the peace process.

“What we discussed was that Congress will pass a law within the framework of the Annexes, then we deal with the constitutional issue when it arises,” she said.

The government and the MILF signed the Annex on Normalization, the last phase of the peace negotiations. Congress will then enact the Bangsamoro Basic Law as the final peace agreement.

The signing of the last annex during the 43rd formal exploratory talks held in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday would pave the way for the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

The Framework Agreement envisioned the creation of the Bangsamoro government that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2016.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law is currently being drafted by the Transition Commission, a body created by the government and the MILF.

The proposed law is expected to be submitted to Congress by May for deliberations.

Once Congress approves the basic law, it will be ratified through a plebiscite by the people in the proposed Bangsamoro territory.

Clarifications

House leaders have repeatedly expressed their preference that the proposed basic law should not require any amendment to the Constitution to avoid legal complications, including questions before the Supreme Court that would derail the peace process.

Muntinlupa City Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the House committee on national defense and security, said if the peace process succeeds, it will reap security and economic dividends the country has never experienced before.

“(And) if everything fails, there is only one alternative, wage war,” he added.

Biazon was referring to possible scenarios where the Bangsamoro Basic Law might be rejected in a plebiscite or ruled out by the Supreme Court, or hit a snag in Congress. –Jess Diaz, John Unson, Roel Pareño