Include other stakeholders in BBL discussion, government urged

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday urged the government to include other stakeholders in the discussions on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will be the legal basis for the creation of an autonomous Bangsamoro entity in Mindanao.

Binay said the government should also consider the sentiments of other stakeholders like the indigenous Mindanaoans or Lumads and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

“What I fear is after the peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is signed, there will be another group of insurgents that will arise,” Binay said in Filipino.

He also noted that certain features of the draft BBL should be carefully reviewed as these could run counter to provisions of the Constitution and compromise national sovereignty.

“The problem there is the features of the agreement, specifically on the sharing of natural resources. The way they describe it, I know this is exaggerated, they almost require a passport to enter a part of the territory,” Binay said.

“My objection from the beginning is the feature on sub-state. This has been debated for a long time,” he added.

The Vice President also reiterated his stance that congressional approval of the BBL should not be bound by a deadline. “The BBL should ripen at the right time.”

‘Congress, don’t wait for probe result’

But Justice Secretary Leila de Lima urged Congress to proceed with its deliberations on the BBL without having to wait for the results of the probes into the massacre of 44 policemen in a clash with MILF and other Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

“I agree with those who are saying that the passage of BBL should be separate from the issue on Mamasapano incident. We will be wasting time with the suspension of hearings in the committees of both Senate and House of Representatives because they are waiting for the results of the investigation,” she lamented.

“I hope they (lawmakers) separate these issues and just focus on the constitutional scrutiny of the BBL,” she added.

Malacañang hinted yesterday that while lawmakers appear to be opposed to the proposed BBL, it does not necessarily mean that the allies of President Aquino in Congress will vote against its passage.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. noted that the deliberation of administration and opposition lawmakers on the BBL is just part of the dynamics in the legislative chamber, and senators and congressmen have all the right to revise provisions in the BBL which they see to be in conflict with the Constitution.

“But it does not mean that when a senator or congressman expresses a critical view about a provision in the BBL, he will not anymore vote for its passage,” Coloma told reporters in Filipino.

Sen. Francis Escudero said that MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal was wrong in telling legislators what it should do as far as the BBL is concerned. He reminded Iqbal that the members of Congress have a duty to go over every piece of proposed legislation brought before them.

But Sen. Grace Poe said that she understands where the MILF is coming from with its statements about the BBL because the government peace panel agreed to include all the provisions in the measure during the negotiations. However, it is the responsibility of Congress to ensure that the provisions of the BBL are constitutional and would be beneficial to all sectors.

Two of three senators tagged as being against the BBL yesterday also cried foul over the billboard put up in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao depicting them as anti-peace.

The billboard showed pictures of Sens. JV Ejercito, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Alan Peter Cayetano with the caption: “Anti-BBL Senators.”

Ejercito said that the billboards, one of which was put up in Sultan Kudarat, are a form of “harassment” against him and his two colleagues.

Ejercito clarified that his stance against the BBL in its present form does not mean that he is anti-Muslim.

Marcos, for his part, said that he was surprised by his inclusion in the billboard since he was not even against the BBL in the first place.

“But I guess they’re just expressing their opinion. With Sen. JV and Sen. Alan, it was because they withdrew (their support to the BBL). I don’t know why I was included among the anti-BBL senators,” Marcos added.

Updates on probe could affect peace talks

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) will no longer release updates on the Mamasapano probe until it is completed, citing possible repercussions on the ongoing peace talks between the government and MILF.

“It’s better that we just release the results of our evaluation and findings at the proper time, instead of piecemeal releases, because this is a very sensitive case. In as much as we would want the (suspects) to face criminal justice system, it is complicated because of the ongoing peace process,” De Lima explained. – With Edu Punay, Delon Porcalla, Jose Rodel Clapano, Marvin Sy