MILF, MNLF disagree on fate of Bangsamoro

From the Business World (Jun 9): MILF, MNLF disagree on fate of Bangsamoro

THE MORO ISLAMIC Liberation Front (MILF) expects the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to be passed before Philippine President Benigno S. C. Aquino III steps down from his post in 2016, but the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) thinks otherwise.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law is the centerpiece of the peace agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF that will put in place a Bangsamoro government in Mindanao.

MILF Political Affairs Vice-Chair Ghazali Jaafar said they are hopeful that the proposed law will pass the scrutiny of Congress and will be ratified before the start of the term of the next President in 2016.

“We are expecting it to be upheld once it is ratified in Congress by 2016 -- before the end-term of (Mr. Aquino),” Mr. Jaafar told BusinessWorld in a phone interview.

On the other hand, MNLF spokesperson Atty. Emmanuel Fontanilla believes the opposite, citing that amendments to the Philippine Constitution must be made before the peace deal is signed into law.

“As a lawyer, I think it will not pass because it is against the Constitution... It’s because you cannot give exclusive powers to local units except by amending the Constitution,” Mr. Fontanilla said.

Both statements were made a few days before the scheduled MILF-MNLF dialogue, which was organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an international body composed of 57 Islamic states.

Malacañang said in an earlier statement that the government is making sure that the proposed law will stand judicial scrutiny, and that they it will be approved and signed into law by yearend. The Aquino administration earlier said it is hoping to submit the draft Bangsamoro bill to the House of Representatives when Congress resumed sessions on May 5 to keep up with its indicative timetable approval of the Bangsamoro Basic Law by end of 2014.

The plebiscite in the areas covered by the Bangsamoro is expected in 2015, while the conduct of elections for officials that will regularly administer the Bangsamoro political entity is expected to be done simultaneous with the 2016 national elections.

The draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law was crafted by the 15-member Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC). The draft was based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed between the government and the MILF last March 27.

The BTC submitted the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Malacañang early last month.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law is envisioned to speed up the process of creating the autonomous region as part of a peace process to end decades of fighting that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in the region.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Q. Deles told BusinessWorld last month that the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law would be submitted to Congress before sessions adjourn this month.

She, however, conceded that the government would be “cramming” the approval of the proposed law given the delay in its submission.

“The target is still to submit before Congress closes,” Ms. Deles said then.

The MNLF is a secessionist political group founded by Nur Misuari in 1969.

In 1976, a breakaway group of the MNLF led then by Hashim Salamat created the MILF.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=MILF,-MNLF-disagree-on-fate-of-Bangsamoro&id=88845