COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday reiterated there was transparency in the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that it wants approved by Congress without revisions.
Muhaquer Iqbal, chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and the MILF peace panel, also said there is no basis for cynics to claim that the lack of openness is reason enough to stop the passage of the proposal.
President Aquino made his pitch for BBL approval in his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, wanting to make it his main legacy before he steps down on June 30, 2016. He said time is running out for lasting peace in Mindanao.
The draft BBL aims to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with a new MILF-led Bangsamoro political entity.
It suffered a setback in January after MILF members, along with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, murdered 44 members of the police Special Action Force (SAF) tasked to serve subpoenas on two international terrorists hiding within MILF-controlled areas.
The government agencies, which investigated the killings, are yet to charge those involved in the carnage. Aquino was also criticized by relatives of the Fallen 44 for his failure to acknowledge the bravery of the troopers during his speech on Monday.
Even given these, the third party monitoring team (TPMT) encouraged Congress to continue working on the BBL and seal the peace agreements.
“Decades of violent conflict have wracked Mindanao, blighted the lives of generations of civilians and led to the deaths of so many combatants (whether on the side of the MILF or of government forces),” said the TPMT in an official statement.
It added that the normalization process continues despite the delay in the legislative process.
“Deliberations on the BBL continue in Congress, though it remains uncertain when this work will be completed and how far the law to be adopted will hew to the agreements painstakingly negotiated since 1997. Nevertheless, the first stage of MILF decommissioning was successfully completed on June 16, with the ceremonial turnover to the IDB (Independent Decommissioning Body) of 75 crew-serve and high-powered firearms, and the return to civilian life of 145 former MILF combatants,” the TPMT said.
Iqbal said there is no truth to assertions that there was no transparency in the peace talks because the sessions held in Malaysia were attended by officials from Mindanao, some congressmen and other government and civil society organization officers.
“The MILF wants a BBL based on the version agreed bilaterally by the government and the MILF. We cannot accept a weak BBL,” he said.
Iqbal stressed they will reject a BBL that is different from the parameters of the Oct. 15, 2013 Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro and the March 27, 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro.
He claims some Catholic and Christian religious leaders, including Orlando Cardinal Quevedo of Cotabato, are supporting the draft BBL.
Quevedo, member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate congregation, called for support to the Mindanao process in last week’s Mindanao Media Forum in Cotabato City.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the interim House committee handling the draft BBL, also said Aquino’s pitch for the proposed law would hasten its passage. – With Jose Rodel Clapano