44% vs BBL: Gov’t needs Plan B

MANILA, Philippines–Forty-four percent of Filipinos oppose the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), according to the latest Pulse Asia survey, and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. says the government now needs a “Plan B” for ending the decades-long conflict in Mindanao.

Only 21 percent of Filipinos favor passage of the draft BBL, the March 1-7 survey showed, while 36 percent are undecided about the measure that would establish an autonomous Bangsamoro region in Mindanao as provided for in the peace agreement signed by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in March last year.

The survey showed that disagreement with the bill was more evident in Mindanao (62 percent) and Metro Manila (52 percent) than in the rest of Luzon (32 percent) and the Visayas (43 percent).

Among socioeconomic groups, disagreement with the bill is the plurality sentiment among Classes ABC (37 percent), D (45 percent) and E (43 percent).

Pulse Asia also found that 88 percent of Filipinos were aware of the BBL, with majority sentiments posted across geographic areas (ranging from 82 percent to 93 percent) and socioeconomic levels (ranging from 82 percent to 92 percent).

The survey found that only 12 percent of Filipinos were unaware of the BBL.

Mamasapano incident

Public and congressional support for the BBL has crumbled in the aftermath of a clash between Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos and Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, that left 44 policemen, 17 MILF fighters and three civilians dead on Jan. 25.

Belmonte acknowledged Thursday the very real prospect of the proposed BBL being rejected by Congress in the face of stiff public opposition.

“Always a possibility. And politics is the art of the possible,” Belmonte said in a text message.

And what if the BBL is rejected? Does the government have an alternative plan to end the conflict in Mindanao?

“[I] hope, too, that there’s a Plan B,” Belmonte said.

Malacañang has not spoken about an alternative plan, always insisting on the constitutionality of the BBL.

Next administration

The MILF has said it will work with the next government if the proposed BBL fails to clear Congress under the administration of President Aquino.

In a recent interview with Reuters, MILF chair Murad Ebrahim said the SAF operation in Mamasapano was a violation of the ceasefire agreement between his group and the government.

He acknowledged that the fallout from Mamasapano has eroded President Aquino’s credibility, likely affecting the chances of the BBL to get congressional approval.

But that will not terminate the peace agreement between the MILF and the government.

“The next President, whoever is elected next year, is bound to implement the peace agreement,” Murad said, indicating the MILF would press the peace process.

Belmonte said there was still hope for the BBL, noting that “such moral authorities as [Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio] Cardinal Tagle have spoken in favor” of the bill.

The 75-member ad hoc committee on the BBL will resume discussions on the bill in April.

Belmonte and Senate President Franklin Drilon have agreed to pass the BBL by June, before Congress adjourns.

Tough job

It will be a tough job, especially with the legality of the proposed autonomous Bangsamoro region and the large appropriations for it getting questioned in both houses of Congress.

The Senate investigation of the Mamasapano incident has also called attention to the government peace negotiators’ “wanton excess of overoptimism” and seeming bias for the MILF.

But on Thursday, Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, a cousin of the President, questioned that finding of the joint investigative committee headed by Sen. Grace Poe, saying it did not consider readily accessible documentation and reports on the debates and discussions during various stages and the challenges and historic milestones of the peace process.

Aquino defended Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles and chief government peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, saying they were not given the opportunity to properly respond to questions and manifestations from senators about the peace process.

“In many instances, the statements of the resource persons were … cut off and they were not allowed to finish their manifestation,” Aquino said in a letter to Poe asking for clarifications on portions of the Mamasapano report critical of the government peace negotiators.

Major problem areas

He also asked to be clarified on portions of the report that refer to “major problem areas” in the BBL, including the large appropriations and the creation of a “substate.”

“With due respect, the substantive provisions of the [peace agreement] and the BBL itself were not extensively discussed during any of the hearings conducted on the Mamasapano incident. I find it worrisome that conclusions regarding the [peace agreement] and the BBL (i.e., creation of a substate) are drawn without having these properly presented during our hearings,” Aquino said.

Aquino, however, concurred with the finding of the investigative committee that the President is ultimately responsible for Mamasapano.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, in a manifestation to the Mamasapano investigative committee, said there was a need to evaluate whether the government peace negotiators were “not remiss in validating the integrity of the information presented to them in the peace negotiations.”

Villar said it should be clear to the negotiators that they are representing the government alone in the peace talks.

Ferrer responds

Responding to the unflattering finding of Poe’s investigative committee, Ferrer said Thursday that she was ready to defend the peace process.

In a statement sent to the Inquirer, Ferrer said that in the five days of hearings on Mamasapano in the Senate, “the peace panel was not given enough time to provide a full picture of the peace process.”

“As such, we would like to offer to our esteemed senators a full briefing on the history of the peace negotiations with the [Moro National Liberation Front] and the MILF, the different annexes of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, and the provisions of the draft law (BBL),” Ferrer said.

“We will also be giving the Senate a documentation of all meetings and consultations that the peace panel and the [Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process] have undertaken in crafting its negotiating positions with the members of the Cabinet and heads of agencies, legislators, former justices of the Supreme Court and other constitutional experts, historians, local government officials, the PNP and the AFP,” she added.

No compromised territory

Ferrer also stressed that the draft BBL “does not compromise but in fact reinforces the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines.”

Ferrer listed down several provisions in the draft law:

— The preamble, which shows that it is in consonance with the Philippine Constitution.

— Article III, Section 1, which states that the Bangsamoro territory will remain a part of the Philippines.

— Article VI, Section 3, which states that the President will exercise general supervision over the Bangsamoro government.

— Article XI, Section 15, which states that the defense and security of the Bangsamoro will be the responsibility of the central government.

“We trust that with further study and broader understanding of the intricacies of a politically negotiated solution to the armed conflict between the government and the MILF, this Congress would pass a good BBL and take pride in the future for the legacy of a peaceful, progressive and democratic Bangsamoro region that is part and parcel of the Philippine Republic,” Ferrer said.

Ferrer also said that “public awareness of the BBL is based on misinformation on the actual contents of the BBL.”

“If you ask people if they want the Bangsamoro to have a separate police and army and not be audited by the [Commission on Audit], naturally they will say no. If you ask them if they want the Bangsamoro to separate from the country, you will get the same answer. But that is not what the BBL says. What the BBL provides is the exact opposite. We hope that the mass media will help us correct all the misinformation,” Ferrer said.

Lack of understanding

A senior government official who closely monitors the peace process also expressed dismay at the Senate report which, he said, apparently showed a lack of understanding by the senators of the peace process as a whole.

“It seems they can’t think of any other adjective. They just don’t agree on the approach taken by [the] government,” said the official, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to discuss the peace process publicly.

The official said that in the peace process, the senators should know that there are priorities in the negotiations.

“Our priority here is the political settlement, before the lawlessness,” the official said.

The official added that during the Senate hearings, the senators seemed to want the government to “negotiate peace only with saints.”

“They have no idea what insurgent means,” the official said.

Peace will be attained

Malacañang said it remained hopeful that the peace in Central Mindanao would be attained as part of the “national aspiration.”

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Palace respected the opinions of the senators.

“We take that position in a way that would lead to a constructive dialogue that could lead to a finding or building of common ground. That is the democratic process. We don’t expect everyone to have the same opinions all the time. We make an effort to look for a common ground and build upon it. This is the basis to establishing lasting peace,” Coloma said.–With reports from Rafael L. Antonio, Inquirer Research, and wires

 

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