No renegotiation for MILF

From the Philippine Star (Apr 13): No renegotiation for MILF



The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will not renegotiate the peace agreement it signed with the government if the Supreme Court strikes down the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as unconstitutional.

In an editorial posted over the weekend on its website luwaran.net, the MILF slammed its critics in Congress whom it accused of “grandstanding” and warned that such actions could lead to dangerous consequences.

“What can they get if the Bangsamoro Basic Law will be rendered non-binding because of the legal challenge and eventually declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court? They do not want to admit it but the consequence of their ‘grandstanding,’ if they succeed, would be risky and dangerous,” the editorial read.

“The MILF will not renegotiate the Framework Agreement (FAB) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) anymore,” it added.

The FAB, which aims to create a Bangsamoro entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), was signed by the government and the MILF in 2012.

The areas included in the proposed Bangsamoro entity are Isabela City in Basilan, Cotabato City, six towns in Lanao del Norte, and some areas in North Cotabato, in addition to the ARMM provinces Basilan, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

The CAB, which will serve as the basis of the BBL, was signed last year. If the BBL is passed into law, it will be the legal basis for creating the Bangsamoro entity.

Under the proposed BBL, the new Bangsamoro entity will enjoy enhanced autonomy with greater political and economic powers. The measure has to be approved by voters in the areas included in the proposed entity through a plebiscite before it can take affect.

The fate of the BBL now hangs as lawmakers suspended deliberations on the measure in the wake of the Mamasapano clash, which left 44 members of the Special Action Force and at least 17 MILF members dead. A few civilians were also killed in the crossfire.

Critics of BBL have questioned the sincerity of the MILF in the peace process and have urged lawmakers to subject the measure to close scrutiny.

In the same editorial, the MILF predicted that the country would be “heading for trouble” if critics continue to harp on the Mamasapano issue.

“The Mamasapano incident is indeed tragic. No one has a contrary view. In fact, it continues to threaten the survival of the Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress,” the group said.

“But if we keep on harping and harping on the same issue, again and again, like a circus, and forget the bigger and more pressing issue of the day, like the BBL, then this country is heading for trouble,” it added.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/04/13/1443211/no-renegotiation-milf