In a press release issued on January 14, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Vice Chairman Ghadzali Jaafar said that there is still hope that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be passed by Congress into law this year.
“Inaasahan natin na mangyayari ito sapagkat sa 2019 ay magtatapos yung termino ng mga assemblymen natin sa ARMM. At kapag nagwakas ang termino ng mga leaders na ito na wala pang batas ang Bangsamoro Government ay magkakaproblema ang gobyerno sapagkat magiging vacuum ang governance ng ARMM by 2019 kung saan mag-expire ang term ng officials ng autonomous government,” said Jaafar.
Jaafar, who is also the chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, said that before that period will come the government needs to prepare for the conduct of plebiscite within the Bangsamoro government’s territory.
“Pero kung maipasa itong BBL by March or June sa palagay ko ito’y tamang-tama lang sapagkat after its passage, the plebiscite will take place for the people to ratify whether they will approve or reject the BBL,” said Jaafar.
Jaafar shared that the BTC is continuing its efforts to dialogue with lawmakers and the Bangsamoro masses.
“Ang leadership ng MILF ay nakikipag-usap din sa mga political leaders para kahit papaano lalo sa Mindanao ay makatulong sila para lalong lumakas ang pagkakataon para ang BBL ay maipasa bilang batas,” he said.
Ask about changes in the BTC’s submitted draft of the BBL, Jafar said that it is part of the legislative process.
“This is normal thing in passing a law kasi ang isang panukalang batas ay bago maging batas ay dadaan ito sa diskusyon ng mga lawmakers, lower house and senate. At sa process na yun maaaring mayroong mabago dun sa provision na proposed law. Mayroon dun pweding mapalitan, pweding madagdagan. It’s a process. Maaaring mangyari ito sa proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. Normal yun na dadaan ang BBL sa ganyang bagay.
However, MILF peace implementing panel Mohagher Iqbal said that Congress can technically enhance BBL but the changes should still be consistent with the signed agreements.
“Of course when we submitted the BBL to Office of the President and eventually to Congress of the Philippines we are not saying that Congress cannot improve and enhance the BBL,” Iqbal said.
Iqbal added that it is crucial that the law will be consistent with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and aspirations of the Bangsamoro people.
“Because if the law passed by Congress will not address the concerns and aspirations of the Moro people then you know giving a bad medicine is worse than not giving medicine at all. We want a good BBL that would really address the problems of Mindanao,” Iqbal added.
Presently, at least 200 documents have been signed since the talks between the government and MILF started in 1997.
Iqbal said that there is only one agenda from the start of the peace process and it revolves around solving the Bangsamoro problem.
“FAB and CAB contain the political solution to the Moro problem. It will not be implemented unless the government will enact a law in a form of legislation and that action is unilateral to the government,” Iqbal explained.
Iqbal said the legislation of BBL should happen this year especially that both the Speaker of the House and Senate President are from Mindanao.
“The President’s allies in both the lower and upper house are in control of the Congress so he can do it if he wants to pass the BBL and we are very sure about that,” Iqbal said.
Part of the agreement of the both parties is for the government to pass the BBL crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. It is an obligation of the government that needs to be complied before the MILF will do the full decommissioning of its combatants.
The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) that was signed in 2012 and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) forged between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2014 has signaled that the elusive peace in Mindanao is now within reach.
However, if the Congress will enact a Bangsamoro-law that is lesser than the aspirations of Bangsamoro people then it will not address the four-decade conflict in Mindanao, the MILF said.
http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/1163/---no-other-best-time-to-pass-bbl-but-this-year------milf
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