Palace on passage of BBL: Now or never

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang believes the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will not be approved in the next administration.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made this clear yesterday as he rejected calls for the crafting of an alternative to the BBL that can be left for the next administration to tackle.

“We don’t see ourselves looking at the BBL being passed by the next administration. It’s either BBL or no BBL,” Lacierda declared.

President Aquino wants Congress to pass the controversial measure before his July 27 State of the Nation Address, the last of his term.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is negotiating peace with the government, also wants the BBL approved as soon as possible – and without changes.

“It’s not a binary position. It’s either BBL or no BBL. You have the BBL in Congress. Congressmen, senators may have a different view. Let’s look, let’s discuss, let’s deliberate,” Lacierda said.

He said the President has been clear in his position amid setbacks caused by the Mamasapano incident.

“So we asked Congress: look into the law itself. Find ways to make sure that what we have crafted would be bigger than the Mamasapano incident. It’s difficult, yes, lives were lost in Mamasapano and we certainly grieve for the loss of 44 commandos,” Lacierda stressed.

“But we have to look into the fruit… We did not labor in vain here. The peace process, the peace panel did not labor in vain; the SAF commandos did not die in vain as well. Let’s give honor by making sure that peace will continue in Mindanao,” he added.

“It seems like finding peace is an uphill climb once again. We should not deter ourselves from pointing out that a just and lasting peace is what we all want – whether it’s a Bangsamoro, it’s the government of the Philippines, it’s the entire Filipino,” the spokesman explained.

The executive branch under the leadership of Aquino, Lacierda said, “will be there to discuss and give their points and to shed light on the perspective of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.”

“We are there to present to Congress, senators or congressmen, the perspective of how this BBL was crafted. If they have issues on wealth sharing, if they have issues on power sharing, let’s not just go on the general statements,” he said.

“Let’s focus on the details. We can provide you the details. The executive branch is prepared to present to you all the details of the provisions of the law, whether on the constitutional issue or whether on certain provisions. We’re prepared to do that,” he pointed out.

Mar pitches for BBL

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II met Liberal Party congressmen over lunch yesterday to make his own pitch for the BBL.

Marikina City Rep. Romero Quimbo, who was present at the meeting, quoted Roxas as saying that non-passage of the BBL is “not acceptable.” Roxas is LP president-on-leave.

“He (Roxas) said 150,000 lives have been lost in Mindanao, and we could go back to that situation if we don’t have the BBL,” Quimbo said.

He said Roxas also justified the proposed P75-billion annual block grant for the Bangsamoro, saying the amount would be needed to jumpstart the region’s economy.

The size of the allocation has raised concerns that the MILF would corner the amount and use it to enrich its officials or buy arms to revive its secessionist agenda.

No need for Cha-cha

Meanwhile, leaders of the House of Representatives said there would be no need to amend the Constitution to ensure passage of the BBL, as Congress would make sure unconstitutional provisions are excised before the measure is approved.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the ad hoc committee deliberating on the BBL, said Congress would try its best to come up with the best version of the law to avoid complications once the law takes effect.

“What they’re asking is impossible and impractical at this time,” Rodriguez said in a telephone interview, referring to calls from the newly formed Bangsamoro Transition Council that the Constitution be amended to accommodate a BBL. The council’s organizers and members comprise Muslims and non-Muslims.

“Let’s just proceed with the deliberations and we just have to make sure that it will conform with the Constitution,” Rodriguez said.

He said amending the political provisions of the Charter would most likely give rise to prolonged debates.

Belmonte said the best course of action is to continue with the deliberations on the BBL and approve it. The ad hoc panel suspended discussions on the draft BBL in the aftermath of the Mamasapano incident.

“We believe that it (BBL passage) is a very difficult process – a lot of people have to be convinced – but we’ll have to do that. But we cannot possibly pass a bill that doesn’t conform to the Constitution,” Belmonte said.

Basilan Rep. Jim Hataman-Salliman, chairman of the House committee on peace, unity and reconciliation and a member of the ad hoc panel, said “the best way to test the constitutionality of the BBL is to approve it first.”

Belmonte and Senate President Franklin Drilon, along with other congressional leaders, met yesterday to map out a way to ensure the passage of the BBL by June.

Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II said Congress aims to pass the BBL before its sine die adjournment on June 11, even as he stressed it would be impossible to call for a special session in case lawmakers fail to meet the new deadline.

“To insist on what had been submitted by the Palace is not possible and realistic,” Gonzales said, referring to President Aquino’s desire to enact the BBL intact.

Fueling radicalism

Meanwhile, the MILF said a diluted BBL would only fuel radicalism and worsen the problems of Mindanao.

In an editorial posted on its website luwaran.com, the MILF said a watered down BBL would have “adverse consequence” to the peace process.

“Diluting the BBL is not solving the Bangsamoro Problem or Question at all. The problem will stay and perhaps it will worsen, even if the MILF folds its hands and allow chances to proceed,” the editorial read.

“The radicals and those who oppose the peace process will be given more legitimacy to pursue their hard agenda,” it added.

The MILF then raised a question on whether such scenario should be allowed in response to the death of 44 police commandos in Mamasapano last Jan. 25.

“Are we sure that giving up the BBL would not produce more deaths and destructions in the future? Do we want to perpetuate the way of war in Mindanao?” the group said.

The MILF wants Congress to pass the BBL without amendments. Lawmakers, however, insist the measure should undergo scrutiny in the light of the Mamasapano incident.

The MILF clarified that it does not seek to intrude into the powers of Congress to create laws.

“This is not to gloss over the plenary power of Congress over legislation, but rather it has to be taken in the context of an appeal to the higher sense of statesmanship of legislators – in the exercise of their collective wisdom – to pass a good BBL,” it said.

The group stressed that the BBL is “the end product of 17 long and hard (years of) negotiations” between the government and MILF negotiators.

“The problem is political; it is to restore back to the Moros their right to govern themselves, which they lost when they were made part of the Philippines – against their will – in the grant of independence in 1946,” the MILF said.

The group also defended the proposal to form a Bangsamoro police, which it claimed has a direct relationship with the decommissioning of MILF weapons and combatants.

“It would be extremely difficult on the part of the MILF to undergo this decommission if the police in the Bangsamoro government cannot protect through infirmities in the BBL the limbs, properties and well-being of the people of the Bangsamoro,” the MILF said.

The rebel group said the “disastrous effect” of “hostile” operation in Mamasapano highlighted the need for a Bangsamoro police that are professional, fair, non-partisan and civilian in character. – Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero