Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Would the continued refusal of the country’s biggest rebel group to surrender its fighters involved in the Jan. 25 Mamasapano massacre affect the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that is pending in Congress?
Two senators gave opposing views when asked to comment on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) declaration that it would not give up its men who may have violated the ceasefire agreement with the government after taking part in the killing of 44 Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal has said the MILF would be the one to impose disciplinary action on its members involved in violations of the peace agreement with the government.
“It is up to the government to enforce the law,” Senate President Franklin Drilon said, even as the Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended the prosecution of 90 Moro rebels, including MILF fighters, who took part in the massacre of the elite police force.
Aside from the 44 commandos, 17 MILF fighters and three civilians were killed in the encounter that ended the SAF operation to capture international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and his Filipino lieutenant, Basit Usman.
In a radio interview, Drilon said the refusal by the MILF should not affect the BBL as “the passage of the BBL and the enforcement of the law are different.”
An added issue
But Sen. Francis Escudero disagreed, saying on the same radio program that it was an added issue to the deliberations on the BBL.
Escudero said the MILF had no immunity from prosecution for the Mamasapano clash, which is why it cannot invoke the peace agreement to escape responsibility for its actions.
“Amnesty is given after the peace agreement is signed and not before,” Escudero said.
He said he would like to know the position of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) on the DOJ recommendation that charges be filed against the MILF.
He said he would like to see the Opapp side with the government on this issue.
Last week, a joint DOJ and National Bureau of Investigation panel recommended the prosecution of 90 rebels from the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters for the slaughter of 35 of the 44 SAF commandos from the 55th Special Action Company which was involved in the daylong gun battle in Barangay (village) Tukanalipao, Mamasapano.