MILF raises concern on delay of Bangsamoro Law passage

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has expressed concern over what it described as a “tightening timeline” of the law that would establish a Bangsamoro region.

The MILF said people are suspecting that the comments made by President Aquino’s legal team on the draft law have been causing the delay.

“We do not want to confirm or deny this suspicion. The government and MILF have not opened much on this. The reason is not only for modesty’s sake, we are sure, but more importantly, it is the only right course of action,” an editorial posted on the MILF website luwaran.com read.

“Be this as it may, but what is threatening in this particular instance is the tightening timeline,” it added.

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission, a panel composed of government and MILF representatives, submitted the draft law to Malacañang last April. A Palace legal team will review the draft law before submitting it to Congress.

Malacañang has yet to complete its review, raising concerns that the enactment of the law might be hampered as it has to compete with other key measures for lawmakers’ time.

President Aquino’s spokespersons earlier said the draft law is being reviewed thoroughly to ensure that it is consistent with the Constitution. The draft is expected to be ready before the President delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address on July 28.

MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said the delayed passage of the law would hamper the establishment of a Bangsamoro government in Mindanao.

“We cannot organize a new Bangsamoro government unless the law is approved and ratified, approved by the Congress and ratified by the people of Bangsamoro,” Jaafar said in an interview.

“We can’t operate without a law,” he added.

The MILF editorial noted that in a negotiation, a disagreement on a single word could take hours for parties to settle.

“How much more for a thick document such as the (Bangsamoro Law)?” it said.

The MILF, nevertheless, remains hopeful that all stakeholders will overcome their differences.

“After all, they have no other option except to agree,” it said.

The editorial cited the need for the government and the MILF to seize the opportunity to settle the Bangsamoro’s struggle for its right to self-determination.