Saturday, August 9, 2014

MILF: GPH-MILF panels convene to thresh out differences on watered-down draft BBL

Posted to the MILF Website (Aug 9): GPH-MILF panels convene to thresh out differences on watered-down draft BBL



Starting August 1, the peace panels of the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GPH-MILF) gathered in Davao City to thresh-out their differences on watered-downed draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and submitted to Malacañang last week of April.
  
When enacted the BBL shall be the governing law of the future Bangsamoro government. The panels will wind up their workshops on August 10 unless extended by both parties. A Pool of Independent Lawyers (PIL) is assisting the peace panels.

The discussions on the draft law prompted Mr. Salic Ibrahim, Executive Director of Maranao Peoples Development Center (MARADECA) to call on both panels to iron out differences and come up with a mutually-agreed version.

MARADECA said that by expediting the discussions, it can be submitted to Congress by President Benigno Aquino III in early possible time so that the two chambers of congress shall have enough time to tackle and enact the bill into a law for the proposed Bangsamoro new political entity. After the law is ratified in a plebiscite the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) shall replace the ARMM in July 2015.

The ongoing discussions need the support, not only by the civil society groups but also other stakeholders in Mindanao. The Mindanao Peace Weavers expressed its support to the workshops in Davao City and stressed the need for immediate and compromise agreement on the draft BBL.

 Salic Ibrahim added that it is also equally important for the principals of the two panels to exercise authority by urging them to come-up with a mutually-agreed draft BBL. Previous meeting in Japan between President Aquino and MILF Chieftain Al Haj Murad Ebrahim helped fast track the completion of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and its four annexes.  

MARADECA called on President Aquino to act expeditiously on the draft BBL when both panels are through with their discussions and come up with a compromise version. A draft bill or law acceptable to the Bangsamoro people and the establishment of Bangsamoro Region will finally end the decades of violence in Mindanao.

Frustrations and anxiety arose from various sectors in Mindanao mostly peace advocates, civil society organizations, religious sectors and from MILF ground commanders who were dismayed and irritated after the Office of the President (OP) legal team diluted the draft BBL that almost 70% of the original contents were deleted and replaced with other versions.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1138-gph-milf-panels-convene-to-thresh-out-differences-on-watered-down-draft-bbl

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