Dismissal of plea vs BBL won’t affect case vs negotiators

FORMER Manila Mayor and now Buhay Representative Lito Atienza on Thursday said the Supreme Court’s decision dismissing a petition to declare the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as unconstitutional for being premature will not affect the treason and inciting to sedition case they have filed against the peace panel.

“This criminal case is totally different. We are accusing both sides of conspiring to put the Philippines in a situation that is contrary to the Constitution,” Atienza said during the preliminary investigation before the Manila Prosecutors Office.

Atienza, together with Abakada Representative Jonathan Dela Cruz and Atty. Jeremy Gatdula, filed a case for treason and inciting to sedition against Government of the Philippines (GPH) negotiating panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, former GPH chairman Marvic Leonen who is currently an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, GPH negotiating panel members Senen C. Bacani, Yasmin Busran-Lao, Mehol K. Sadain, former GPH panel consultant Zenonida Brosas. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles is also included in the complaint.

Also included as respondents in the complaint are MILF negotiating panel chair and the Transition Commission Mohagher Iqbal and members Datu Michael Mastura, Maulana Alonto, Abdulla Camilian, alternate negotiating panel member Datu Antonio Kino, Transition Commission members Ibrahim Ali, Talib Abdulhamid Benito, Pedrito Eisma, Raissa Jajurie, Froilyn Mendoza, Hussein Muñoz, Akmad Sakkam, Said Shiek, Asani Tammang, Timuay Melanio Ulama and Johaira Wahab.

“The acts of the Respondents in executing the Framework Agreement and in proposing the BBL also effectively aided the MILF armed forces to successfully assert their existence as a separate and independence state. Therefore, the respondents must be held liable for the crime of treason as punished under the Revised Penal Code,” the complainants said.

Atty. Gatdula, on the other hand, said the acts of the respondents are already consummated following the existence of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

The CAB is a five-page 12-point text document representing the final peace agreement between the government and the MILF that provides, among others, the turn over of firearms to a third party, which would be selected by the government and the MILF. It reiterates the commitment of the two parties to the FAB, among others.