Sunday, August 2, 2015

MILF: Iqbal urges congress to pass BBL without revisions

Posted to the MILF Website (Aug 2): Iqbal urges congress to pass BBL without revisions

Iqbal urges congress to pass BBL without revisions

Mohagher Iqbal, Chief Negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) urged congress on Wednesday, July 29 to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) without revisions before the term of President Benigno Aquino III ends on June 20, 2016.He stressed that there was transparency in drafting the proposed law.

“There is no reason for cynics to make what is for them is lack of openness in the peace talks, a reason to stop the BBL’s passage”, Iqbal said.

In his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, President Aquino made his final pitch for the passage of the Bangsamoro Law.

President Aquino, who wants to make the BBL his main legacy before he steps down from office, had told senators and congressmen that time is running out for lasting peace in Mindanao.

“There is no truth to assertions that there was no transparency in the peace talks. Some of our sessions in Malaysia were attended by local officials from Mindanao, members of Congress and representatives from the national government and from civil society organizations,” Iqbal further said.

He said some of the engagements between peace brokers of the MILF and the national government even involved lawmakers.

Iqbal said the MILF wants a BBL according to its original draft which the BTC submitted to Congressional leaders in September last year at MalacaƱan Palace.

“The MILF wants a BBL based on the version agreed bilaterally by the government and the MILF. We cannot accept a weak BBL,” Iqbal said. Iqbal said they will reject a BBL different from the parameters of the October 15, 2013 Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro and the March 27, 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro.

Iqbal said skeptics and cynics ought to ponder too on why there are non-Muslim blocs and Christian religious leaders, among them Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, supporting the draft BBL.

Quevedo, a concurrent archbishop and a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate congregation, whose pontifical base is in Rome, has been vocal in his unrelenting endorsement of the draft BBL.
Quevedo called for support to the Mindanao process during last week’s Mindanao Media Forum in Cotabato City, which he presided over. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the interim House committee handling the draft BBL, on Tuesday said President Aquino’s pitch for the proposed law via his SONA would hasten its passage.

“We will hit the ground running once floor discussions resume,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said the prospects for the BBL’s passage remain good.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/508-iqbal-urges-congress-to-pass-bbl-without-revisions

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.