Do not kill the BBL

The world, including the Philippines, is facing constant tensions caused by increasing religious, racial and ethnic divides. More often than not, these divides have led to violent conflicts such as we now see in the Middle East, Africa and now in Asia.If we do not find a peaceful way of bridging these divides, the violence will escalate and millions of innocent civilians will be the victims.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is one genuine attempt to bridge the religious divide in the Philippines and find a non-violent path to peace. This is the reason that the BBL has attracted so much international attention and support.

Marcos and his cousin, Leyte Congressman Romualdez both declared that the BBL was “as good as dead.” While this claim may be premature, the clever substitution of a supposedly substitute  BBL bill by Marcos has proven to be a major obstacle to any immediate, meaningful debate on the original BBL as proposed by President Aquino.

A Peace Council was convened by five major non-political leaders earlier this year to review the BBL. The five convenors were Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila; Hilario G. Davide, former Chief Justice; Howard Dee, former ambassador to the Holy See; Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman, Ayala Corp.; and, Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman, founder of Teach Peace, Build Peace Movement.  

Here  is a summary of the major findings by the Peace Council:

• The BBL does not make the Bangsamoro Government a state. The provisions on “people,” “territory” and “self determination” do not imply the creation of a separate state, but are consistent with the constitutionally mandated creation of autonomous regions.

• The Bangsamoro Government, as constituted in the BBL, is compliant with the requirements of the Constitution. The government with an executive department and legislative assembly combined in the Parliament, have officers that are elective and representative of the constituent political units.

• The intergovernmental relation between the national government and the Bangsamoro government is consistent with the allocation of powers mandated by the Constitution. The defined relationship between the national government and the Bangsamoro government embodies the essence of genuine autonomy based on principles of solidarity and subsidiarity.

• The Supreme Court and the constitutional bodies continue to maintain the powers that are given under the Constitution. There is neither substitution nor diminution of powers intended or effected by the creation of the Bangsamoro human rights, auditing, civil service and electoral office.

• The plebiscite requirement in the BBL adheres to the provision of the Constitution on the process for creation of the autonomous region.

• The Cluster on Social Justice and Human Development, thus endorsed the BBL and recommend its passage, as an act of social justice and reparation to the peoples of Muslim Mindanao to rectify all the injustices inflicted upon them in the past. It is the Cluster’s hope that the Bangsamoro will serve as a model for the rest of the country in fulfilling the 1987 Constitution mandate to secure social justice for all Filipinos.

• The best protection against secessionism is the passage of the BBL and its effective implementation to provide a national environment that allows Muslim Mindanao to develop as part of a diverse Philippines. There would be no reason to secede.

• In conclusion, the Cluster (on Constitutionality), declared that the BBL complies with the Constitution’s mandate for the creation of autonomous regions, “within the framework of the Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines.” While imperfect it is a significant document that should serve as a catalyst for building national consensus towards the realization of the long term aspiration, expressed by the country three decades ago, for justice, solidarity and peace for Mindanao, and for the entire Philippines.

There is still hope that the BBL, with some amendments, will become a reality. Fellow Philippine STAR columnist, Marichu Villanueva wrote an insightful and analytical column on the status of the BBL. She said that the statements declaring BBL as dead were melodramatic. According to her, Marcos and Romualdez were “exaggerating the fate of the BBL.”

A former Justice of the Supreme Court told me that the next time I write about the Bangsamoro Basic Law, I should be clear about my message. He suggested a title I should use for my next column  – Do not kill the BBL.

Pope Francis on Islam

The American political scientist Samuel Huntington wrote in his book The Clash of Civilizations: “The underlying problem in the West is not Islamic fundamentalism. It is Islam, a different civilization whose people are convinced of the superiority of their culture...The problem of Islam...is the West, a different civilization whose people are convinced of the universality of their culture...”

In his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis wrote about interreligious dialogue and Christian-Muslim relationship. In paragraph 252, he wrote:

“Our relationship with the followers of Islam has taken on great importance, since they are now significantly present in many traditionally Christian countries, where they can freely worship and become fully a part of society. We must never forget that they ‘profess to hold’ the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, who will judge humanity on the last day.” The sacred writings of Islam have retained some Christian teachings; Jesus and Mary receive profound veneration...They also acknowledge the need to respond to God with an ethical commitment and with mercy towards those most in need.”

The only way there can be peace in this world is by following the exhortations of Pope Francis. We must look for ways to peacefully bridge the racial, religious and ethnic divides by highlighting the beliefs and values that we all share rather than focusing on the issues and traditions that sets us apart from each other.

Where the Write Things Are’s Class for Kids and Teens

Write Away! Weekend: Flash Fiction Writing with Gabriela Lee on October 24 (1-4pm) at the Canadian American School Alphaland Makati Place. Ms. Lee is a writer who teaches at UP Diliman.For registration and fee details contact 0917-6240196/[email protected].

Email: [email protected]