MILF says ‘war is not an option’ in case BBL fails to get Congress nod

From GMA News (Jun 8): MILF says ‘war is not an option’ in case BBL fails to get Congress nod

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Monday assured the public that it will not take up arms even if the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will not get Congress' approval, saying “war is not an option.”

On its website, the MILF clarified that it has “never issued any official statement that it will go to war over the non-passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law which is under deliberations in both houses of Congress.”

“On the contrary, the MILF consistently maintains that no matter what happens to the BBL, the pursuit of peace would remain the menu in setting the armed conflict in Mindanao,” the MILF said in a statement.

“War is not an option to the MILF,” it added.

The MILF gave the assurance after Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. appealed to the rebel group not to resort to threats and warnings if Congress fails to pass the BBL, which will establish a new political entity in Mindanao to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The BBL embodies the peace agreement signed by the government and the MILF in March last year.

Marcos heads the Senate local government committee, which is currently tackling the BBL. He had earlier said that his committee cannot pass the Malacañang-drafted bill as it has many questionable provisions.

In its statement, the MILF appealed to Marcos to “fast-track your process and come out with your committee report.”

“You may have all the best intentions, because you want a good BBL, but time is running out,” it said, noting that the BBL “has been in Congress for nine months already and, therefore, it is not true to say that the BBL is being rushed up.”

“The flipside is truer: The passage of the BBL is getting snagged. This is the popular impression thus far created,” the group said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/500534/news/nation/milf-says-war-is-not-an-option-in-case-bbl-fails-to-get-congress-nod