OPAPP holds BBL forum; cites gains of peace talks with MILF

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 9): OPAPP holds BBL forum; cites gains of peace talks with MILF

To clarify certain issues raised against the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), Atty. Anna Basman, head of the legal team of the Government Peace Panel met with the local press in a forum held here yesterday.

Some 25 media practitioners from the different print, radio and TV outfits in the city turned up to shoot their questions to Atty. Basman who traveled all the way from Manila for the said activity.

As regards the issue on a separate Bangsamoro police, Basman clarified that the police force of the Bangsamoro government is still under the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“It is called the Bangsamoro police because it is in the Bangsamoro; it is just like the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Police Regional Office (ARMM-PRO),” Basman explained.

When asked whether the BBL is the solution to armed conflict in Mindanao, Atty. Basman replied that “the armed conflict is 40 years in history and not one law can instantaneously resolve the conflict.

It’s going to be a work-in-progress with the government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), civil society groups and all the stakeholders in the island.

”She also told the media practitioners that “there is no automatic/wide-scale integration of the MILF combatants to the PNP or the Armed Forces of the Philippines. If they want to join the PNP or the AFP, they have to go through the hiring process. There is no special concession for them.”

To settle conflicts, she said, Shari’ah Court for the Muslims, Traditional/Tribal Justice System for “lumads”, regular courts and alternative dispute resolutions using customary laws will be established in the Bangsamoro government.

Basman said the normalization process had already taken place even without the BBL with the decommissioning of 145 MILF combatants with 75 high-powered/crew served weapons last month.

“The decommissioning will continue with the implementation of the agreement on the Bangsamoro,” she added.“One thing that happened in this peace negotiation with the MILF is that we are able to convert them from their extreme position – which is independence – to the fold,” the lady lawyer concluded.

Similar fora with media practitioners were also conducted in Zamboanga City, Pagadian City and in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. 

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1431436340668/opapp-holds-bbl-forum-cites-gains-of-peace-talks-with-milf