PNP, DND back creation of Bangsamoro police

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of National Defense (DND) yesterday said that the creation of the Bangsamoro police is consistent with the Constitution.

Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ingking of the PNP and DND Undersecretary Lorenzo Batino, who attended a hearing on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) at the House of Representatives, issued the statements as they declared their support for the passage of House Bill 4994.

Ingking said a provision in the Bangsamoro bill, which states that the Bangsamoro police shall be part of the PNP, guarantees that there is only one national police body.

Batino said the proposed BBL upholds the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the country.

“The DND is supportive of the passage of the BBL as a manifestation of government’s commitment to peace and development in Mindanao,” he said.

National Security Council deputy director general Zenonida Brosas said the NSC supports the Bangsamoro bill because of its positive national implications.

Brosas said the passage of the bill would pave the way for the settlement of the internal conflict in Mindanao, which would enable the government to focus on issues affecting the country’s territory and maritime domain.

She said the realization of the Bangsamoro government would stop extremism in Mindanao from spreading.

“The Bangsamoro government will help moderate radicalism being promoted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and will encourage Muslim communities to reject ISIS influence,” Brosas said.

The NSC official said the passage of the Bangsamoro bill would lead to political and economic reforms in Mindanao, as well as development of the area.

Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the House committee on national defense and security, expressed support for the creation of the Bangsamoro police, saying it is not separate from the PNP.

The establishment of the Bangsamoro police is a component of the normalization process, which is found in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Meanwhile, presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles urged civil society groups to scrutinize and hold debates on the Bangsamoro bill to ensure ownership of the law among stakeholders and the public.

In a forum in Davao City, Deles dared the more than 30 civic society leaders to scrutinize the bill and urged them to raise the bar of the discourse in order to achieve an all-inclusive law.

She called on peace advocates to strengthen their awareness campaign, study and understand the Bangsamoro draft law through social actions until it reaches the attention of mass media, opinion shapers and Congress.

She said civic groups could help the government educate the public on the intricacies of the BBL by engaging in legal and technical discourses.

Deles said the help of stakeholders is needed to ensure a smooth implementation of the law.

Last month, Congress started deliberating on the bill that seeks to create a genuinely autonomous political entity for the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao.

Both the Senate and the House vowed to pass the bill within the first quarter of 2015.

Meanwhile, Catholic bishops in Mindanao expressed concern over some provisions of the BBL, which they said need to be clarified before the bill’s passage.– With Roel Pareño