A leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) said
the implementation of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), saying "there is no
other way to address the violence in Mindanao
but to pursue the path of peace."
"The country cannot afford another wide-scale armed
conflict in Mindanao as it will have
disastrous effects," said Abul Khayr Alonto, elected chairman of the
surviving original members of the MNLF central committee, during a Senate
hearing on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law on Monday.
Alonto said those who call for all-out-war after the
Mamasapano incident are those "who in their nightmares even don't know the
situation of war."
The statement was made amid outrage following the
Mamasapano, Maguindanao clash on January 25 that left heavy casualties on both
the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) despite existing ceasefire agreement.
Some quarters are calling for Congress to stop the
deliberations of the Bangsamoro bill and resort to military operation in the
south.
Alonto, who was invited to be one of the resource persons
during the Senate hearing on the constitutionality of the proposed BBL chaired
by Senator Miriam Santiago, said that while the tragic incident calls for
justice and accountability, the on-going peace process should not be the
ultimate casualty.
"While we share the pain of the families of those
fallen warriors on both sides, this honourable chamber cannot renege on the BBL
and more so, cannot support the resumption of war in Mindanao ,"
he urged.
Alonto said the BBL has all the proper mechanisms to bring
stability in Mindanao and address the
injustices committed to the Moro minority on the south.
"The Mamasapano incident must not stop this BBL
(passage)... We ask Congress to grant Bangsamoro a law that has the full
mechanism of autonomy so that past failures will not be repeated," he
noted.
"We must correct the hundreds of years of injustice
against the Bangsamoro people," Alonto said as he recalled massacres done
to Bangsamoro communities in the past that pushed the MNLF to wage struggle.
"The incident should all the more compel us to enact
the BBL to prevent the fragmentation of this country," he pointed out.
The MNLF leader said "there is no other way to address
the violence in Mindanao but to pursue the
path of peace."
He said the ultimate goal of the peace process is to
establish stability in the conflict-affected areas and to reduce firearms among
the populace.
"We ask Congress to grant Bangsamoro a law that has the
full mechanism of autonomy so that past failures will not be repeated," he
said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=731909
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