The government peace panel expressed optimism that the
proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will get the thumbs up of majority of
members of the present Congress despite lingering questions of some
legislators.
GPH peace panel member Senen Bacani said the government
peace team is optimistic that the draft Bangsamoro law will pass the
legislative hurdle, pointing out that the measure has the full support of
President Benigno Aquino III and the leaderships of both the Senate and the
House of Representatives.
Bacani said: “Hopefully with a fuller discussion of this law
there will be a better understanding of what is in there for everybody. We’ve
always said that we’re relying on the collective wisdom of the members of both
houses [Senate and House of Representatives] to come up with a law that will
basically satisfy the aspirations of the Bangsamoro and one that will be in
accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).”
“We know that there is no such thing as an overnight
process. What is important is the implementation of the law. And what is even
more important is the spirit of the law. (And) how do you change the mindset of
people? That cannot be done overnight. There has to be a new way of thinking,”
he added.
While he conceded that prejudices and biases brought by past
and current social and cultural inequities add to the challenges confronting
the BBL, Bacani said these should not be stumbling blocks in the approval of
the proposed bill.
He pointed out anew that the full implementation of the
decommissioning process is concurrent to the enactment of the draft BBL into
law.
“As previously agreed in the Annex on Normalization, the
phase two of the decommissioning process, (which is the completion of)
validation of MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) forces and weapons up to the
ratification of the BBL, it naturally follows that the 30 percent
decommissioning will also happen in phase two,” Bacani said.
He likewise stressed that the MILF has proven that it can
partner with the government in providing security and in the implementation of
the law, particularly in areas in Mindanao
with presence of armed groups.
“(This measure) will be the first step towards a road to a
just and lasting peace in the Bangsamoro and in Mindanao ,”
he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=778185
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