‘BBL’ means Bangsamoro Bike for Love

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao—From seeking peace and justice to celebrating love and unity.

This is what “BBL” stands for today in Central Mindanao on Valentine’s Day: Bangsamoro Bike for Love.

And the Mamasapano debacle that drew anger, hate, distrust and prejudice apparently even became a motivation for more people to sign up and join the activity, which has been planned as early as January, Maj. Gen. Eduardo Pangilinan, commander of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told the Inquirer on Friday.

Among those who had arrived for Saturday’s event were Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles and government chief peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer.

OPAPP Sec. Teresita Deles and Miriam Colonel Ferrer. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Showcase of unity

Pangilinan is banking on the Bangsamoro Bike for Love (BBL) to serve as a showcase for all people who long for peace in Central Mindanao.

“Even after the Mamasapano incident, we are pushing through with Bike for Love. In fact, the more we have to push through with it with all the people yearning for peace not only in Cotabato City, Central Mindanao and Maguindanao, but [also] the whole country,” Pangilinan said.

“We have to show people that we are one and united in pursuing peace,” he said.

Deles, Ferrer and Pangilinan are among the resource persons attending the Senate and the House of Representatives investigations into the deaths of 44 police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos in gun battles with guerrillas from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25.

The police commandos took down Jemaah Islamiyah bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” but got into clashes with the Moro guerrillas as they withdrew.

Police Director Getulio Napeñas, the relieved SAF commander, admitted he bypassed the mechanisms instituted as part of the peace process because he did not trust the MILF and even the military. He said earlier missions to get Marwan coordinated with the Army failed because they had been compromised.

The deaths of the 44 SAF commandos threw in doubt the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law that would establish the Bangsamoro autonomous region.

The proposed Bangsamoro charter is a priority legislation of President Aquino, who wants the achievement of peace in Mindanao one of the legacies of his presidency, which ends next year.

500 bikers expected

Pangilinan said he expected more than 500 people to join Bike for Love, a project that he himself conceptualized.

He recalled that early this year, he was looking for an activity that would bring together the residents in his area of responsibility. Pangilinan said he noticed that “people from all walks of life” liked to bike, just like him, and from there the idea to hold one big biking event grew.

Pangilinan contacted the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and other sectors to pitch the idea that the event could boost support for the proposed Bangsamoro charter, which is under discussion in both houses of Congress.

Bikers will ride through a 106-kilometer route that starts at Awang, Cotabato, and ends at Buluan, Maguindanao.

Pangilinan said the MILF, the Moro National Liberation Front and the Philippine National Police will join the event. He said there would be participants from the academic community, religious sector, private organizations and the military.

Expected to arrive on Saturday is a contingent from the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters, the Army, Air Force and Navy from Manila on board a C-130 aircraft.

Fund drive

Aside from Bike for Love, Pangilinan said his division would also launch a fund drive for the civilian victims of the Mamasapano clash.

He said his officers and personnel could volunteer to donate one-day equivalent of their P90-meal allowance to raise the money.

Pangilinan said the 6th Infantry Division hoped to raise some P360,000, with 4,000 soldiers from the division donating P90 each.

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