The “harmonized and consolidated version” of the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL, formerly known as BBL) was approved by the 28-member congressional bicameral conference committee this week. Both houses of Congress are expected to ratify the bill during their third regular session on Monday.
In Malacañang, President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign the proposed Republic Act as soon as the Palace receives the ratified document on Monday prior to the president’s annual State of the Nation Address, said presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
With this, it seems finally that the government and stakeholders have achieved a breakthrough toward peace and inclusive development in the region. It’s an outstanding achievement, if only for the consensus achieved through the BOL by the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Mindanao politicians who represent the island’s Christian majority.
Passage of the BOL remains to be one of the few remaining cards for the Duterte administration whose approval ratings have been dropping in recent surveys in the wake of record-high inflation for the first five months of 2018.
The BOL promises to end decades of fighting between government and Muslim rebel and extremist groups in Mindanao. The law, once passed, will create a new autonomous political entity known as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region that will replace the ARMM. It promises to address decades-old resentments especially among the Muslim and lumad groups in Mindanao about power and wealth sharing with the central government.
But there is much to learn from the ARMM experience in order for BOL to fulfill its promises. For one, pouring in billions of pesos does not necessarily translate to long-term development in the region if such appropriation is not supported by a balanced combination of inclusive governance and citizen engagement in Mindanao.
It bears remembering that, in the words of Mindanao scholars Jesse Angelo L. Altez and Kloyde A. Caday, “land conflicts in Mindanao and its systematic tolerance transformed the landscape of the island – millions were displaced, natural resources were exploited by corporations, and land claims have infringed along with other claims.”
While it is difficult to undo the injustices of past generations without sparking another round of conflict, I agree with many political scholars when they say that Mindanao’s success hinges on respect for cultural identity and heritage, economic inclusiveness, and political participation.
These require a kind of mature leadership that Mindanao’s current crop of politicians together with the political and economic elite in Manila – I’m afraid – may not measure up to. I can only wish that on the rebel’s side, the characters of their leaders which have been molded by years of fighting are formidable enough to withstand the temptations of money and power. I hope they will not become one of the bad people in government.
We all have a stake in the development of Mindanao, especially us in Cebu. Peace and stability there also means a Cebu more secure from extremist threats. An increasing middle class in Mindanao also means more youths there sent to our universities here, more tourists shopping in our malls, and more entrepreneurs trading for our goods and services.
On a personal note, Mindanao to me is where my paternal ancestors (whose roots are in Cebu) had migrated. There they partook of nature’s bounties and made the land productive with resources that my father later used to build his education and career in Cebu. By inheritance I hold a stake in Mindanao, not just in some parcels of land but also in its cultural and social heritage.
***
President Duterte will deliver this Monday his third SONA. Two years into his presidency and I can say that leaders with strong and charismatic personalities can only do so much. They titillate the nation at first but as the realities of governance set in, these leaders’ character and personality are no match for the competing and incoherent interests and projects of their key election supporters and their new allies from the traditional, party-switching political elites. And like Duterte himself, many of his appointees are impervious to criticisms and advice from well-meaning sectors.
Those in power often forget that while they are there, it should be all about making a contribution, not about proving their worth. They should learn to depersonalize negative comments or evaluations and should just focus on doing their jobs and improving their work, rather than on the image they want to project.