Peace process back on ‘heartbreak hill’

Filipino Muslims display placards during a rally at the Philippine Senate to coincide with the hearing at the Upper House on the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). AP FILE PHOTO

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—In the words of President Aquino himself, the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is back on “heartbreak hill” as the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) faces rough sailing in Congress.

President Aquino will deliver his sixth and last State of the Nation Address (Sona) without a Bangsamoro law, and a new autonomous region, in place, an obvious setback in his national security strategy that includes bringing peace and development in war-torn Central Mindanao.

Nonetheless, the President noted that there is some development in the peace process, such as the June 16 ceremonial decommissioning of MILF firearms.

The President announced that he would be present at the ceremony to be held in Maguindanao.

“That is the first part of the normalization [process] and it is no joke to decommission the firearms. These are not five or two pieces. It’s quite a substantial number. We will go there on June 16,” he said.

In 2013, President Aquino had likened the impasse in the peace negotiations to the Boston Marathon’s “Heartbreak Hill,” the hardest last mile in the marathon that would test one’s determination to complete the race.

The bachelor President also likened the passage of the bill to a wedding and marriage, where he said his married friends have told him that a lot of things go through a couple’s mind even as they sign the marriage contract or fight over how they would squeeze toothpaste out of its tube.

“The point is, all the details are being studied and we take cognizance of the great efforts of both chambers. We have meetings even on holidays and weekends to discuss this and what we were supposed to do,” the President said.

As far as the snag in Congress is concerned, President Aquino said he would work with the lawmakers to ensure the passage of the bill.

“All I can do is try and convince the leaders of both chambers and their members of the importance of this particular bill and that it turns into a law. I’ve spoken to many of them who are cognizant that we really need [this bill] and we have to enact it as soon as possible,” President Aquino said.

The administration had hoped that the House of Representatives would vote on the House version of the BBL on Thursday, June 11.

However, the House decided to continue the plenary debates. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the House could approve the bill on third reading in September.

The Senate is much more disparaging of the proposed BBL, coming out with a committee report that several provisions of the draft law are unconstitutional.

“More or less, I think, we’re slightly behind schedule but at the end of the day, it would be the people who would decide,” he said.

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