VIDEO | Treason, sedition charges filed against gov't negotiating panel over BBL

From Inter Aksyon (May 28): VIDEO | Treason, sedition charges filed against gov't negotiating panel over BBL



The first page of the complaint affidavit filed against members of the government negotiating panel on the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Even before it could became law, the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) on Thursday faced its first legal challenge before a local court, which accused its framers of treason and inciting to sedition.

In their complaint affidavit, Representatives Lito Atienza, Michael Velarde Jr. and Irwin Tieng, all from Buhay partylist, Jonathan de la Cruz of Abakada partylist, former Ambassador Jose Romero, Jr. and lawyer Jeremy Gatdula said that the members of the government negotiating panel led by Professor Miriam Coronel Ferrer should be held liable for treason and inciting to sedition for giving in to the demands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which "put the entire nation in a dilemma."

"The acts of the respondents, in executing the Framework Agreement and in proposing the BBL, also effectively aided the MILF armed forces to successfully assert their existence as a separate and independent state. Therefore, the Respondents must be held liable for the crime of treason," the complainants said in their affidavit filed before deputy City Prosecutor Eufrosino Sulla at the Manila City Hall.

The respondents also included the members of the MILF negotiating panel led by Mohagher Iqbal.

The BBL, which is currently being deliberated in Congress, aims to establish a new Bangsamoro region that is fiscally and politically autonomous. 

It was a product of the Framework Agreement and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed between the government and the MILF last year.

"The BBL intends to establish the Bangsamoro government as a political entity equal to or greater than the government of the Republic of the Philippines. The respondents, therefore, incite people to diminish the supervisory powers of the President," the affidavit said.

It added that, "in proposing the asymmetric relationship, the respondents also incite people to strip away the superiority of the national government and to prevent the executive department to freely exercise its power as provided by the Constitution."

According to the lawmakers, the BBL promotes secessionist moves.

"Through the BBL provisions, which are clearly unconstitutional, the inhabitants of the still undefined Bangsamoro are being instigated to make continuing demands for independence and self-determination," they said.

"The acts of the respondents, in executing the Framework Agreement and in proposing the BBL, also effective aided the MILF armed forces to successfully assert their existence as a separate and independent state," they added. 

The House of Representatives is to begin plenary debates on the BBL on June 1.  At the Senate, the bill is being deliberated at the committee level.

HERE'S NEWS5'S VIDEO REPORT ON THE FILING OF THE CASE:

[Video report]

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/111333/video--treason-sedition-charges-filed-against-govt-negotiating-panel-over-bbl