For more than four decades, the MILF has been used not to give up on something that it aspires for.
It is the nature of revolutionary struggle that it is hard, harsh, and protracted, and only those who are dedicated and committed will endure through to the end. Had we easily given up, we could not have reached this far. Indeed, success belongs to those who are patient and persevere.
The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has been in Congress since September 10, 2014, or to be precise, one year and almost a month now. There were three deadlines set for its passage but they never were accomplished: December 2014, June 11, this year, and September-October this year. Now comes the November-December new deadline.
Will the BBL make it through Congress this time and becomes a law? We do not know and we have no way to know it. But the government says that it will still pass Congress, and we take that words with much respect. President Benigno Aquino III has been consistently truthful in our dealings for more than five years already. His parents, the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and his late mother, President Corazon C. Aquino, were also very close to the Muslims or Moros in Mindanao. There is thus no reason to doubt.
However, while the fate of the BBL is in limbo, the election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) comes our way. There is no law so far that has been passed to stop it from taking place. Candidates for the positions of regional governor, vice regional governor, and the 24 assemblymen are already preparing to file their respective certificates of candidacy from October 8-14. It seems there is no stopping anymore.
What is the implication of this ARMM election to the BBL? Some may just parrot the argument that if the BBL is passed and a new political entity is created, the ARMM is deemed abolished. But suppose those elected for the various positions will not readily resign and file a case in court seeking for the completion of their terms of office? There is only one Mujiv Hataman and one Haron Al-Rashid III, regional governor and vice regional governor, respectively, who chose the common good over their personal interests. Moreover, there are those who view this election in the ARMM as an indication of the BBL dead on track. Worse, spoilers will likely interpret this as government not doing enough to comply with its obligations.
In a period of uncertainty like this, rumors breed so fast. The government and the MILF should, therefore, step in and contain the ill-effects of this grapevine communication. They should also devise a common strategy, including correct messaging, in order to contain the negative impacts. More importantly, the Parties shall always be guided by frankness and transparency. This is the only way we know.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/editorial/item/602-election-in-the-armm
The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has been in Congress since September 10, 2014, or to be precise, one year and almost a month now. There were three deadlines set for its passage but they never were accomplished: December 2014, June 11, this year, and September-October this year. Now comes the November-December new deadline.
Will the BBL make it through Congress this time and becomes a law? We do not know and we have no way to know it. But the government says that it will still pass Congress, and we take that words with much respect. President Benigno Aquino III has been consistently truthful in our dealings for more than five years already. His parents, the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and his late mother, President Corazon C. Aquino, were also very close to the Muslims or Moros in Mindanao. There is thus no reason to doubt.
However, while the fate of the BBL is in limbo, the election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) comes our way. There is no law so far that has been passed to stop it from taking place. Candidates for the positions of regional governor, vice regional governor, and the 24 assemblymen are already preparing to file their respective certificates of candidacy from October 8-14. It seems there is no stopping anymore.
What is the implication of this ARMM election to the BBL? Some may just parrot the argument that if the BBL is passed and a new political entity is created, the ARMM is deemed abolished. But suppose those elected for the various positions will not readily resign and file a case in court seeking for the completion of their terms of office? There is only one Mujiv Hataman and one Haron Al-Rashid III, regional governor and vice regional governor, respectively, who chose the common good over their personal interests. Moreover, there are those who view this election in the ARMM as an indication of the BBL dead on track. Worse, spoilers will likely interpret this as government not doing enough to comply with its obligations.
In a period of uncertainty like this, rumors breed so fast. The government and the MILF should, therefore, step in and contain the ill-effects of this grapevine communication. They should also devise a common strategy, including correct messaging, in order to contain the negative impacts. More importantly, the Parties shall always be guided by frankness and transparency. This is the only way we know.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/editorial/item/602-election-in-the-armm
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