Don’t hold the BBL hostage

Civil society groups, peace advocates call on solons

REPRESENTATIVES of civil society organizations from Mindanao appealed to members of the Philippine legislature not to hold hostage the deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law following the Mamasapano incident in Maguindanao province.

Forty-four members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation front fighters, and five civilians died in the police-led operations codenamed Oplan Exodus. It aimed to kill or capture two foreign bombmakers declared as terrorists by the United States government.

However, lawyer Mary Anne Arnado, secretary general of the Mindanao People’s Caucus (MPC) stressed that this does not mean that investigation on the bloody “misencounter” between the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) and armed groups in the area should stop.

“The (probe on the) Mamasapano incident should proceed; we want to know the truth… we are not preventing anyone to investigate,” she said.

THE CALL IS CLEAR: Members of civil society with their message to members of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives | Photo by Cong B. Corrales

“But the thing is, it should not be used as a reason, justification, to suspend or derail the peace process with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) which is now in the process of implementation,” Arnado told the PCIJ.

At least 6,000 residents have fled their homes in Mamasapano town after the January 25 incident.

Sister Arnold Maria Noel, spokesperson of the Free Cocoy Tulawie Movement, feared that the suspension on the deliberations of the BBL might lead to more bloody incidents like the Mamasapano incident.

“Huwag natin i-hostage ang BBL dahil sa Mamasapano kasi kung hindi natin mapasa itong BBL baka ilang beses pa yung Mamasapano incident. Ngayon kasi ang nangyari dahil sa Mamasapano nahinto na yung deliberations ng BBL. Na-hostage mo yung BBL dahil sa isang incident,” Noel said.

Datuan Magon of the United Youth for Peace and Development, on the other hand, said the investigation on the incident and the deliberation of the BBL should be treated separately since the two are not related.

THE MILF has been talking peace with the government for 17 years – Aga Khan Sharieff | Photo by Cong B. Corrales

Aga Khan Sharieff, chairman of the Bangsamoro National Movement for Peace and Development, agreed with Magon citing the fact that there have been no armed encounters between government troops and the MILF over the three years since President Benigno S. Aquino III sat down to negotiate with the MILF.

“Ang MILF, 17 years na nakikipag usap sa gobyerno. Sinabi doon sa report, tatlong taon mula noong umupo si PNoy walang encounter na nangyari sa pagitan ng MILF at saka ang gobyerno natin. Noong panahon ni Erap (Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada), 989 encounters.

Sharieff also reiterated that MILF does not own the BBL and is not intended to appease the revolutionary group.

“Bigyan po natin ng lugar ang BBL na maitatag. Hindi po ‘yan pag-aari ng MILF dahil (may) plebesito tapos (sa) 2016 mag e-eleksyon,” he said.

Photo by Cong B. Corrales

Arnado also pointed to the fact that members of the Bangsamoro Ad Hoc Committee have already gone around Moro communities in Mindanao for the public hearings and have told people that the law will be passed “within the timeline as agreed in the peace agreement.”

“It is very worrisome at this point when we hear our legislators saying this is already suspended and the reason is because of the Mamasapano (incident). This could not be understood at the ground level,” Arnado said.

The representatives of civil society organizations from Mindanao held a news conference during a two-day gathering in Manila of peace advocates from across Asia. Dubbed “Defying Extremism: Asian Dialogue,” it carried the theme, “Civil society voices; discourse and action for peace.” | Cong B. Corrales