REVIEW | Full text and frequently asked questions about the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

From InterAksyon (Mar 5): REVIEW | Full text and frequently asked questions about the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

 

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. shake hands during the submission of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress. (file photo)

It can no longer be denied that the peace process in Mindanao again hangs in the balance in the wake of the January 25 Mamasapano incident. Once again, we see the nation sharply divided into two camps, one calling for vengeance and "all-out war," the other fervently pleading that peace continue to be given a chance.

The polarity is disappointing, because it is the occasionally simplistic framing of the arguments - of which both camps are prone to - that prevents a fully enlightened view by the citizenry. The all-out war is a short-term and messy strategy that leaves so many innocent civilians hostage; while the view that anyone questioning controversial provisions of the draft BBL is an enemy of the peace process is just as disjointed.

Seen among the greatest threats to the chances of finally seeing the beginnings of sustained, and hopefully, lasting peace in the troubled south lies in the halls of Congress, where lawmakers appear to have taken a hardline stance to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law only with revisions they believe will prevent another Mamasapano. On the other hand, the informed views of ex-SC magistrates and legal experts as to the constitutionality issues; and even of those who warn against the lack of fiscal accountability and the mechanisms for good governance, cannot be ignored.

On the streets and on social media, the debate among ordinary Filipinos over the BBL, which would create a new autonomous homeland as part of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, has been just as heated.

Hoping to salvage a peace deal that could be one of its best legacies, the Aquino administration has urged critics of the BBL to first read the proposed measure before criticizing and revising it.

We are thus reposting links on the website of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to both the full text of the draft BBL and to frequently asked questions on the measure:

FULL TEXT OF THE DRAFT BANGSAMORO BASIC LAW

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE DRAFT BBL

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/106292/review--full-text-and-frequently-asked-questions-about-the-proposed-bangsamoro-basic-law