Execs continue to back Bangsamoro efforts

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Officials expressed confidence that Malacañang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could soon reach a consensus on the content of the now seemingly contentious draft Basic Bangsamoro Law (BBL).

The government and the MILF panels held a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from July 8 to 11 to discuss each other's position on the draft BBL.

The MILF had slammed  the "revisions"  of the draft BBL by the Office of the President following a two-month evaluation.

“We believe in the competence of both sides to thresh out issues and come to terms. We just have to support their diplomatic initiative to address the decades-old `Moro issue’ all the way,” Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, chairman of the provincial peace and order council, said in a statement emailed to reporters on Saturday.

Mangudadatu, who has jurisdiction over 36 towns that are known bastions of the MILF, said he is supporting the joint communiqué issued by negotiators regarding the draft BBL.

In the joint communiqué, the panels said there were “positive developments” in their latest meeting.

“There are strong indications both sides can achieve more breakthroughs in their next round of meetings,” said Mangudadatu, presiding chairman of the provincial peace and order council.

Maguindanao is host to Camp Darapanan, the main headquarters of the MILF.

“They (GPH and MILF panels) achieved modest progress and identified `consensus language' in the light of signed agreements. They resolved to continue working together to come up with a mutually acceptable draft Bangsamoro Basic Law,” said the  press statement.

Mangudadatu and Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on Saturday again appealed to the local Muslim, Christian, and indigenous non-Moro highland communities to refrain from spreading rumors about the draft BBL.

The BBL, once enacted into law and ratified via a plebiscite in a referendum in the proposed Bangsamoro homeland, shall pave the way for the ARMM’s replacement with a Bangsamoro political entity.

“Both sides have never stopped from trying to harmonize everything. We just have to give them enough room where to talk and accomplish the remaining works lying ahead of them. Let’s not issue hostile, speculative comments, or believe in rumors,” Hataman said.

Mangudadatu appealed to his constituents observing the  Ramadan,  which started June 29 and will last until third week of July, to offer supplications for a “durable outcome” of the GPH-MILF peace efforts.

“We need to invoke continuing providential blessings for all these efforts, to build lasting peace in Mindanao to succeed, whenever we perform Ramadhan obligatory prayers,"  Mangudadatu said.

The government and MILF panels have agreed to meet again "in the coming days" to continue resolving issues and concerns regarding the draft BBL. - John Unson