The peace panels of the government (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are back in Kuala Lumpur for a two-day meeting that started February 10, to discuss “ways forward” in the peace process after the Aquino administration’s failure to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
In his opening speech titled “As is, where is,” a copy of
which was e-mailed to MindaNews from Kuala Lumpur, Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the
MILF peace panel said that in the next administration (which will start noon of
June 30, 2016), “the most immediate step is either the BBL will be refiled in
Congress or a new basic law, faithful to the letter and spirit of the CAB
(Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro) will be crafted by the Bangsamoro
Transition Commission (BTC), which will most likely have new faces as members.
This is the only way forward.”
Iqbal is concurrent BTC chair.
MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, however, told MindaNews on
January 26 that there will be no re-drafting of the BBL because “it’s already
an agreed version. Napagkasunduan na.”
He said the “agreed version” of the draft BBL will be
re-filed in the next Congress.
The “agreed version” is the version submitted by the BTC to
the Office of the President (OP), vetted by the agencies concerned and
finalized with the OP and the principals – President Benigno Aquino III and
MILF chair Murad – before it was submitted to Congress in ceremonial rites held
in Malacañang on September 10, 2014.
Murad said if the next Congress changes parts of the draft
BBL, they are open to the changes or improvements “as long as it will not
contradict the CAB…. as long as it will comply with the CAB.”
Know history
MindaNews asked GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer
for a copy of her speech but as of 5 p.m. no copy has been sent or posted on
the website of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
But in her statement on February 3, when Congress adjourned
without passing the BBL, Ferrer urged politicians and fellow citizens “to take
the time to study the history of the conflict and the peace process so as to
get a better understanding of the road map and our unflinching efforts to see
it through.”
She said members of her panel “will do everything in the
remaining time we have to ensure that the infrastructure for implementing the
peace accord are fully functional so that the next administration will be in a
good position to carry forward the full implementation of the agreement.”
Ferrer said the roadmap laid out in the CAB “remains viable
even as we shall now be crafting adjustments in the timeline.”
Iqbal blamed the non-passage of the BBL on the “structural
and systemic” problem and on how the “elite vested interests opposed to the
Bangsamoro” used the Moro people’s “disunity and political fragmentation as an
effective weapon for the continuing oppression of our people.”
“Do not despair”
He urged Bangsamoro leaders to unite. “When will we wake up
to see that they are using divide and conquer tactics against us? When will we
wake up to see that until we transcend ourselves and offer it in the service of
the larger and more important task of liberation, we shall never succeed to
prevent the political, economic and socio-cultural extinction of the Bangsamoro
people?”
He commended President Aquino and the GPH peace panel for
“negotiating with us in good faith and for pushing the negotiations closer to
what is required to bring justice and reconciliation.”
“We have learned our lessons. The problem is structural and
systemic,” he said.
He said that even if the BBL was not passed under the Aquino
administration, “there should be no doubt about this — the Bangsamoro will be
established, insha Allah. Truth, justice, and goodness will always
prevail. It is only a matter of time.”
He said their resolve, patience and determination to build
the Bangsamoro is “stronger and more passionate than ever” and the non-passage
of the BBL “does not weaken us” but “strengthens us.”
Addressing the Bangsamoro people, he said: “Do not despair.
Do not be disheartened. Be patient. We shall overcome. Console yourselves. The
struggle for liberation is a long path. We need to prepare for a long and
arduous journey. But it will be worth it. There is an end to our sacrifices and
sufferings. Your MILF has struggled and negotiated for you. This is for you,
for your children and your children’s children.”
To the Filipino people, Iqbal said: “Let us work together
overcome the barriers to peace, justice and reconciliation.”
“Dangerous situation”
He thanked the diplomatic corps and international community
for their “continued solidarity and support to the cause of peace and
reconciliation” and third party- facilitator Malaysia
He said Malaysia
He acknowledged the “widespread frustration on the ground by
our people and members of the MILF” because of the failure to pass the BBL, and
how the communities “have accused the government of resorting again to delaying
tactic and just managing the conflict in Mindanao .”
Iqbal said the GPH and the MILF will jointly find ways “to
address this dangerous situation and avoid actions that may increase the
frustrations.”
Next president
“We must provide them hope that there is chance for passage
of CAB- compliant BBL whoever will be the next president. This must be in the
form of firm and unequivocal commitment from government that it shall continue
to comply with its obligations under the CAB, particularly on the passage of
CAB-compliant BBL, which is a unilateral obligation of government.”
On the part of the MILF, Iqbal assured they will “adhere to
the CAB and comply with its obligations.”
He said what is needed to preserve the gains of the peace
process is for both sides to “journey together in faithfully implementing the
CAB, guided by the principle of ‘as is, where is.’”
“In other words, the most immediate step is either the BBL
will be refiled in Congress or a new basic law, faithful to the letter and
spirit of the CAB, will be crafted by the BTC, which will most likely have new
faces as members. This is the only way forward,” Iqbal said.
Unacceptable status quo
Re-filing the draft BBL as Murad indicated means saving on
time since the next administration is expected to pass the BBL before 2018, to
give at least a year’s transition period until the May 13, 2019 election of the
first set of officials of the Bangsamoro.
The GPH and MILF peace panels under the Aquino
administration agreed that the “status quo is unacceptable” and that they would
work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity called the
Bangsamoro to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The CAB provides that as soon as the BBL is ratified, the
ARMM is deemed abolished to give way to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority
(BTA) that will govern the area under a parliamentary system until the first
Bangsamoro officials elected supposedly on May 9, 2016, assume their post on
June 30, 2016.
The ARMM, which is holding its election on May 9, 2016, will
continue to operate and will have another election on May 13, 2019 if the BBL
is not passed by early 2018.
The non-passage of the BBL under the Aquino administration
is also affecting the decommissioning of MILF weapons and forces as the
percentages of decommissioning are tied up with political milestones, such as
the passage of the BBL.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/02/10/gph-milf-peace-panels-meet-in-kl-for-ways-forward/
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