MANILA, Philippines – More than a month after the botched Mamasapano operation, nearly half of Filipinos said they opposed the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.
Asked whether they agreed with the passage of the BBL, 44 percent of the 1,200 respondents said they disagreed while 21 percent agreed. A big number, 36 percent, were undecided.
Of those who disagreed, 16 percent said they “strongly disagree” with the proposition, while 27 percent said they “disagree.”
On the other hand, only four percent said they “strong agree” with the passage of the BBL, while 17 percent said they “agree.”
The BBL pending in Congress is supposed to enact the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The Mamasapano debacle, which resulted in the death of 44 policemen, 18 MILF fighters and five civilians, is believed to have influenced the opinion of many Filipinos about the BBL and the peace process.
READ: Ex-MILF spokesman doubts BBL can survive Mamasapano tragedy intact
The survey, conducted from March 1 to 7, also showed high awareness of the BBL among Filipinos. Majority or 88 percent said they heard, read or watched news about the BBL.
Awareness is highest in Mindanao with 93 percent, followed by the National Capital Region and the rest of Luzon with 87 percent, and Visayas with 82 percent.
While President Benigno Aquino III has received flak for his government’s poor handling of the Mamasapano operation, the MILF is also being blamed for the death of the policemen.
The MILF has claimed that the clash was a “misencounter.”
Both the MILF and the military insist that the debacle happened because the police did not coordinate with them about the operation in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his cohorts.
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