Gov’t, MILF trying to fix contentious issues in BBL

From the Daily Tribune (Aug 3): Gov’t, MILF trying to fix contentious issues in BBL

Top peace panel leaders yeterday were optimistic on the third round of meetings between government and Moro rebel peace negotiators aimed at establishing a “meeting of the minds” in Davao City.

“While there are disagreements, the meeting is important to establish meeting of the minds on issues that we deemed necessary to clarify,” chief government negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said in an interview by DXMS Radyo Bida in Cotabato City yesterday.

She said both sides are trying to fix contentious issues that may put the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in jeopardy once it reaches the scrutiny of Philippine Congress.

“We ought to have a mutually accepted version of the draft BBL,” Ferrer said, adding that she remained hopeful the week-long review of the draft will produce good results.

The draft, crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), was submitted to Malacañang early May for review by the Palace legal team.

The MILF claimed after two months of review, the government came up with a diluted version.

Mohaqher Iqbal, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel, said the diluted version alarms the MILF.

But Ferrer denied the draft was diluted, much less overhauled as some sectors have been claiming.

Ferrer said the draft BBL is still within the roadmap of peace by the Aquino administration.

Iqbal appealed to the stakeholders in Mindanao to remain patience as both panels are very much into the peace process.

“We are moving forward but I now the task ahead is very tough,” he said in the same radio interview.

Both Ferrer and Iqbal separately said that the Davao meeting will be the last before both panels bring the agreed draft version to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to formalize and finalize the decision. Malaysia is serving as the third party facilitator.

Once the draft law hurdles Congress, it will be subjected to plebiscite in areas to determine the political composition of the new political entity that will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/gov-t-milf-trying-to-fix-contentious-issues-in-bbl