Gov’t should not rush BBL passage – Binay

MANILA, Philippines - The government should remain focused on achieving lasting peace in Mindanao but should not rush the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress, Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday.

Binay also called on all sectors to take part in the deliberations on the BBL, which seeks to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“Let’s not let anger to rule over us, instead let us work harder to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao and in our country,” he said.

“Nevertheless, we should not rush the deliberations in Congress. Because of the Mamasapano incident, it is more important to give all concerned sectors the chance to participate in the crafting of the BBL,” he said.

The killing of 44 members of the elite Special Action Force in Mamasapano, Maguindanao by fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has sparked calls for the cancellation of the peace process.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. earlier said his chamber would stick to its timetable for passing the proposed BBL amid mounting calls for the suspension of deliberations on the proposal following last Sunday’s massacre.

Belmonte said the final draft of the BBL being written by the panel chaired by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez “could still be influenced by the outcome of the formal investigation” into the Mamasapano killings, dismissed by the MILF as a “misencounter.”

The 75-member panel ended last week its public hearings on the BBL and is in the process of writing the final draft for plenary approval in March.  – With Paolo Romero, Janvic Mateo, Jose Rodel Clapano, Roel Pareño