BBL ‘political settlement’ for MILF – Dimaporo

A lawmaker from Mindanao on Wednesday said the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), currently being harmonized by a Congress joint panel, is a “political settlement” for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“If you ask me if this is for the Moro people, this is [a] political settlement for the MILF,” Lanao del Norte 1st District Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo said on the sidelines of the bicameral conference committee meetings on the BBL in Pasig City. He is also a part of the House contingent for the bicam.

The lawmaker also said the Senate wants Bangsamoro parliament that would be controlled by the Mindanao rebel group.

“Even look at the party system. This is what the Senate wants; we’re legislating that the Bangsamoro parliament will be controlled by the MILF. That’s the plan after they decommission, they become productive members of society and also rather than fight for their plans and programs through force, they’ll go through the political arena through parliament,” Dimaporo explained.

“And in parliament, the party will have more than 50 percent, I think 60 percent of control. ‘Yung mga directly elected assemblymen voted by the people are only 40 percent. Ang hawak ng MILF will be 60 percent,” he continued.

However, a lawyer of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) dismissed this claim.

Algamar Latiph said the BBL is for the benefit of all residents of the Bangsamoro region.

“In fact hindi po namin nire-represent ang MILF, magkaiba kami ng pananaw kung minsan, patunay ito na walang exclusivity sa MILF,” Latiph said in a press conference.

“Hindi po ito para sa MILF lang dahil kung ayaw po ng mga residente sa BBL pwede silang humindi,” he added.

INQUIRER.net has reached Ghazali Jaafar, BTC chair and MILF central committee vice chair, for comment. With reports from Syrah Vivien Inocencio/INQUIRER.net

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