The provision banning political dynasties was deleted, raising the prospect of a similar move in the ongoing effort to rewrite the Constitution and drag the nation kicking and screaming toward federalism.
Still, the approval by the bicameral conference committee the other night of the law creating a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is an encouraging step forward in efforts to bring enduring peace in a region long plagued by armed conflict.
The Organic Law for the new region, which will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM, will still have to hurdle legal challenges and presented to the people for approval. In the meantime, however, the two chambers of Congress can ratify the consolidated version and present the measure to President Duterte for his signature, which is expected before he delivers his third State of the Nation Address this Monday.
Concerns have been raised that the removal of the dynasty ban from the Organic Law as well as certain provisions to promote transparency and accountability would set back good governance in the new autonomous region. Bad governance has been blamed for the failure of the ARMM to lift the Muslim areas from poverty. Will the new autonomous region be any different?
The enactment of the Organic Law will pave the way for the forging of a formal peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Even the peace process, however, is hounded by misgivings as new groups have cropped up, using violence to pursue their causes. These include the MILF breakaway faction the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters as well as the Maute group, loosely linked to the terrorist Islamic State, which laid siege to Marawi for five months last year.
The road to the Organic Law, however, has been a tortuous one, and its looming enactment is cause for celebration. This is clearly a step forward in bringing peace and development in Muslim Mindanao.