Government Peace Panel chairperson Miriam Coronel-Ferrer answers questions from reporters after the Bangsamoro committee hearing chaired by Senator Miriam Santiago on Monday. (INQUIRER PHOTO)
The death of 44 members of the elite Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police (SAF-PNP) in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao last Sunday has created adverse reaction to the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law that is now being deliberated in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
A group of former cadets of the Philippine Military Academy calling itself PMA Cebu Squad Inc. is lobbying for the disapproval of the proposed law that would operationalize the peace agreement signed by the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March last year.
Citing at least 11 unconstitutional provisions of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), members of the PMA Cebu Squad Inc. are seeking that the legislation be subjected to further review and if possible rejected.
They placed their observation on the “unconstitutionality” of the legislation in a letter which they sent yesterday to Senator Antonio Trillanes.
Copies of the letter were also sent to other PMAers who now hold seats in the House of Representatives, namely Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, Rep. Romeo Acop, Rep. Romeo Bataoil, Rep. Samuel Pagdilao Jr., Rep. Gary Alejano and Rep. Francisco Ashley Acedillo.
“Daghan kaayo unconstitutional provisions sa BBL. Karon gani nga wala pa na approve, daghan na kaayo nahitabo samot na ug ma approve,” said Atty. Rameses Villagonzalo, the group’s legal counsel referring to the recent killing of SAF members.
(There are many unconstitutional provisions in the BBL. Now that it is not yet approved, there are already incidents, how much more when approved.)
Villagonzalo said that a legislation like the BBL should not be passed.
“With the latest development regarding the murder of the 50 SAF personnel, it is our collective humble opinion that the so-called Bangsamoro Basic Law suffers constitutional and legal infirmities and should, thus, be rejected. Otherwise, the worst is yet to come, said group’s one page letter.
Don’t rush
At the Senate, a day after two co-authors of the proposed BBL withdrew, at least two senators cautioned their colleagues in the Senate “not to rush into any decisions” on the proposed law.
“Inevitably it will be affected somewhat but I urge our colleagues not to rush into any decisions yet. Just until we know what happened,” Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said.
At least two senators—Alan Peter Cayetano and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito—have decided to withdraw their support for the BBL.
Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, who signed the proposed BBL, said he would not withdraw his support for the measure.
“I’m not withdrawing. As I said, we have to continue the process. Hindi ibig sabihin na ipagpapatuloy yung proseso ng BBL, we will sweep this under the rug,” Aquino told reporters.
“I just think that it’s a gut reaction that we let go of the peace process right after this tragedy had happened. Magandang pag-usapan muna kung anong nangyari, imbestigahan, charge who needs to be charged (and) get to the bottom of things…” he added.
Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Grace Poe, and Teofisto Guingona III have filed separate resolutions seeking to investigate the Maguindanao carnage.
At the House of Representatives, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said they are sticking with the March 2015 deadline to pass the BBL.
According to Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and chairman of the BBL ad hoc committee, they are continuing executive sessions to deliberate on the law. The ad hoc committee he added has tasked the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to submit a report to them on February 2 regarding the tragic Mamasapano incident.
Poe said the Senate committee on public order, which she chairs, will start its investigation on the issue on February 6.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, in an interview Tuesday, said that despite the incident, the hearings on the BBL can still proceed “independently and simultaneously.”
“However, should later on we would find out that some elements are involved that are detrimental or prejudicial to the continuance of the peace talks, then that’s the time we make a move. Let us not waste time; particularity the legislative window of the Senate is closing. We can proceed with caution interdependently and simultaneously,” Trillanes said./Edison delos Angeles and Inquirer