War to continue if BBL passage fails—ex-MNLF commander

Sulu Representative Tupay Loong and Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano. PHOTO by Marc Cayabyab/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – The war in Mindanao will continue if Congress fails to pass the proposed Bangsamoro basic law, discussions of which were stalled due to the Mamasapano incident, a former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander-turned congressman warned on Tuesday.

“’Pag hindi natin ito maipasa, the war will continue. That’s the ultimate result,” said Sulu Rep. Tupay Loong in a press conference.

He said the MILF should then show its sincerity by facing the public and admitting or denying allegations that they coddled Malaysian international terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir alias “Marwan” and local terrorist Abdul Basit Usman.

“[The MILF] should come out open to the Filipino people what really happened. Kasalanan ba nila ito? They have to admit it. Kung hindi naman nila kasalanan ito, they have to justify it,” said Loong, who chairs the House Muslim affairs committee.

“Para sa akin, that will give us the basic guidance from what the House of Representatives will do and what the senators will do,” he added.

The Bangsamoro bill, of which the main benefactor is the MILF, may not even pass in the current Congress if the investigation on the MILF’s involvement drags, Loong said

“The determining factor here is this situation now. The situation now actually, this is beyond our expectation. This is a twist of event beyond our imagination,” he said.

“Kung itong pagka investigate natin, mabagal ang takbo, baka maubusan tayo ng oras. So, possibility wise, baka hindi matatapos during the Aquino administration,” Loong added.

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, for his part, said the passage of the bill that seeks to implement the peace deal with MILF depends on the sincerity of the Moro group over their role in the clash.

He said the MILF should show their sincerity so that the public and Congress would revive their trust in passing the bill.

“Habang hindi nakikita o nabibigyan ng kasagutan ang mga tanong ng taumbayan… napakahirap na maipasa ang Bangsamoro bill… Without their cooperation, without their answers to questions, mahirap pong maipasa ang Bangsamoro bill,” Alejano, a former soldier, said.

Over 30 members of the Mindanao Alliance for Peace staged a rally earlier in the day before the lower chamber, saying Congress should not hold “hostage” the bill pending the investigation on the Mamasapano carnage.

“Please do not make peace, the BBL and the future of the people here in Mindanao hostage of what had happened in Mamasapano,” the alliance said in its statement.

The passage of the bill that seeks to implement the peace deal with MILF was stalled after the MILF got involved in a supposed misencounter with members of the Special Action Force (SAF).

It left 44 counterterrorism troopers dead.

Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a breakaway group of the MILF, reportedly also joined the fighting.

The SAF members were in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao last Jan. 25 to take down Malaysian international terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir alias “Marwan” and local terrorist Abdul Basit Usman., who were said to be in an MILF-controlled territory. Marwan was supposedly killed in the attack, while Usman escaped.

The incident was largely blamed on the lack of coordination of sacked SAF commander Getulio Napenas with military and police authorities, which failed to send reinforcements on time.