As the widows and children of the 44 slain Special Action Force (SAF) commandos marked the 40th day of the tragedy yesterday, Congress appears not to be backing down on its moves to amend the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
The amendments of the BBL provisions which several lawmakers consider “unconstitutional” will y not be taken lightly by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which wants the proposed law to be passed without changes.
But with legislators like Sen. Miriam Santiago and former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., framer of the Local Government Code, questioning the BBL, the MILF faces the real possibility of having to either accept an amendment or what they would consider a watered-down version of the law.
The BBL may have been passed by Congress with little or no trouble —okay, maybe with a vocal minority registering their opposition—and is ready for signing by the President as early as this month were it not for the January 25 clash that resulted in the deaths of the 44 SAF commandos.
The incident not only sparked outrage and widespread condemnation, it also fueled age-old suspicions about the MILF and its agenda. It also placed the peace process at risk.
The Aquino administration, the government peace panel and the MILF consider this the crucial step towards lasting peace in Mindanao.
For starters, Santiago and the lawmakers opposed to the BBL question a provision that would allow the creation of a parliamentary form of government in the areas to be covered by the proposed law. To them this is unconstitutional because the country is under a presidential form of government.
Approving the law would allow the creation of a sub-state or a state within a state, something which constitutional experts would have a field day arguing about. It would probably be looked on with suspicion anew by Filipinos who still believe in one country, one rule.
The MILF isn’t helping advance or court public support for the BBL, even with the surrender of some of the firearms that were supposedly used by the SAF commandos.
They refused to hand over their men who were allegedly linked to the killing of the SAF police commandos. That alone has raised questions about their commitment to peace.
Even with street rallies demanding for the immediate passage of the law and pressure from the Palace, Congress is right in taking a meticulous, thorough review of the BBL, if only to ensure that everything is in accordance with the Constitution.
The country should be committed to peace but not at the expense of rushing approval of a law that raises more than a few substantial questions of sovereignty.
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