While we may have to accept that the March deadline for the passage of the BBL, its review by the bicameral committee and final signing into law by President Aquino may not be achieved, there are many things that can be done in the lull to save the 17-year-old peace process.
At the height of the emotional furor last week, key leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives handling the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) admitted they hit a roadblock and can’t have the law passed in March.
Sen. Bongbong Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local governments, has been vocal in asking the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to show it can still be trusted after the Mamasapano tragedy where 44 police commandos were killed in an 11-hour firefight.
At the House, BBL deliberations effectively stopped after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) failed to submit their incident reports at 5 p.m. last Monday , a non-extendable deadline set by House BBL ad hoc committee chairman and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.
While we may have to accept that the March deadline for the passage of the BBL, its review by the bicameral committee and final signing into law by President Aquino may not be achieved, there are many things that can be done in the lull to save the 17-year-old peace process.
Communication lines among the principal players is very important in rebuilding trust. Last week, Sen. Marcos complained that they have lost communication with the MILF. He suspected there was a gag order on the peace panels.
It was a good thing MILF peace panel chairman Mohaqher Iqbal showed up at the Senate hearing called by Sen. Miriam Defenson-Santiago’s committee on constitutional amendments last Monday.
Senator Marcos revealed that Iqbal visited him at his Senate office last Tuesday. He asked the Muslim leader to convince his men to return the guns taken during the clash with the Special Action Force (SAF) commandos.
Marcos also urged Iqbal to clarify the relationship of the MILF and the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters including their role in current efforts to locate and arrest terrorist Basit Usman, who is believed hiding in the hinterlands of Central Mindanao.
Marcos said wanted to get to the truth behind last Sunday’s carnage. The meeting was “cordial” and “enlightening”, he said and that he used the opportunity to convince the MILF leader of the importance of reviving trust and confidence in the people behind the peace efforts.
This is good news. Many feared the senator from Ilocos Norte would conveniently use the Mamasapano incident to ditch the BBL.
Like Rep. Rodriguez, the House counterpart, Senator Marcos wants to resume Senate committee deliberations on the BBL and is just waiting for the government to submit a comprehensive report on what happened.
With communication lines opened, hopefully, things would turn for the best. Continuing the struggle for peace is the true way to honor the 44 police commandos, 18 MILF fighters and three civilians who lost their lives.