Peace panels urge Congress to pass BBL

MANILA, Philippines - The government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels yesterday urged Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

The joint panels issued an open letter urging the lawmakers to immediately pass the BBL, saying “time is short.”

“Time is short, but there is still time. We ask our legislators to work for the immediate passage of the draft law on the Bangsamoro,” government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and MILF peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal said.

The joint panels said the Bangsamoro law will establish a more representative and responsive autonomous government, without the structural flaws found in the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“Time is of the essence, and opportunity knocks only once. The passage of the law will pave the way for the decommissioning of thousands of weapons and combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It will enable the peaceful transition of an armed group into regular members of society, participating and competing in free and fair elections,” Ferrer said.

Ferrer said Congress should allow the MILF to proceed to the third and last stage of their struggles – from pure armed struggle from 1972 to 1997; political struggle from 1997 to the passage and ratification of the proposed BBL; to democratic struggle where their rights and aspirations are pursued solely through civilized and democratic means.

“It will sustain the development initiatives that have flourished under the current ceasefire and the normalization programs provided for in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB),” Ferrer and Iqbal said.

The joint panels said the passage of the BBL will give the next president a better position to continue the peace process.

A good legislation passed in this Congress will redound to the benefit of the next administration, they said.