Bangsamoro: Throwing good money after bad?
The debate on the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has heightened a bit. The discussions as well as accusations and counter accusations run from budget allocation to secession. As viewed by many, the strongest dissentions had been from the political and business leaders in areas where the Bangsamoro through the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are perceivably trying to encroach or dominate.
Looking from afar, one may suspect that these political and business leaders are simply exaggerating the situation. That this is just another chapter of the continuing saga of Christians and Muslims biblical animosities and not more than just a consequence of mutual distrust.
The Maguindanao massacre and the Fallen 44 carnage (as one or two of them were Muslims), however, changed these perceptions. This carnage involving Muslims against their brother Muslims erased that preconceived notion that they selfishly want the Bangsamoro Christian-free and exclusively for them and solely to their economic benefits.
Hailed then as the panacea for peace and progress, today, ARMM (the future Bangsamoro) symbolizes nothing but wanton catastrophe. Heightened conflicts are reaching unparalleled peaks and mutual distrusts are piercing through every ARMM citizen’s bone. Warlords have continued amassing wealth while their poor followers had become unwilling paupers. Straightforwardly, the entire ARMM has no factories, just warlords’ and politicians’ mansions. Consequently, they’ve continued to languish by their own doings.
Amazingly, despite this undesirable track record, they’ve pleaded not just for expanded territory but more autonomy in all fronts as well. They demanded to take control of their political and economic direction (including control of the banking system) within the region. By their own gestures, it is as if, the BBL is the real panacea for the political and economic ills they are in right now.
On paper, we honestly believe, it is. For one, if approved, the proposed BBL provides in Article XII (fiscal autonomy), specifically, Sections 15 and 16 that the Central Government shall provide an annual block grant and that this shall be “equivalent to four per cent (4%) of the net national internal revenue collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue less the internal revenue allotment of local government units”.
To illustrate, if the country’s collection amounts to a trillion annually, the Bangsamoro gets P40 billion. Moreover, the proposed BBL also provides that it shall enjoy a huge share (higher than the present 40% share for LGUs) from the exploration, development and utilization of natural resources. For non-metallic, it shall get all for them, nothing goes to the central government. For metallic and fossil fuels, the Bangsamoro shall share 75% and 50%, respectively. On top of these, they are also allowed to impose their own taxes within their territory. So, undeniably, there is too much money. The question is, will they be able to collect honestly their locally imposed taxes? Furthermore, will they be able to use all their money (including those coming from the central government) honestly and efficiently?
Looking into it intently and objectively, however, anyone can surmise that this is history repeating itself. For instance, the Province of Maguindanao (one of the provinces of ARMM were the Ampatuans once rule) was then in total financial disarray. COA’s 2008 audit revealed that the validity, existence and correctness of the its cash in bank amounting to P107,268,451.94 cannot be ascertained due to the inability of the office of the provincial accountant to prepare monthly bank reconciliation statements for the entire year. Moreover, fixed assets valued at P345,227,725.51 cannot be ascertained due to the absence of unit value, physical count and subsidiary records. Worst, even the withheld amounts from employees for their contributions to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Government Service Insurance System, PAGIBIG and PHILHEALTH totaling P7,088,625.70 were unremitted.
Ironically, the Province of Maguindanao solely exists on annual internal revenue allotments of over P500 million. Incredibly, despite all the mansions and businesses of the Ampatuans, Maguindanao earned a measly P204,294.62 in local taxes for the whole year of 2008.
Strangely, therefore, history showed that the political and economic autonomy that they are demanding isn’t for prosperity in their territory. Likewise, this demanded autonomy is not just for purposes of quenching their thirst for power and wealth. More than these, it is on having a sanctuary where they can freely do whatever they want to do.
Therefore, we, honest taxpayers, should be ready to, possibly, bear the brunt of subsidizing the cost of the MILF and Bangsamoro leaders’ whims and caprices. Let us be living witnesses as the government throws our good money after bad.
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