Bangsamoro deal legal, civil society groups tell SC

MEMBERS of the civil society groups on Tuesday insisted before the Supreme Court that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) are legal after passing through various consultative processes among multicultural and multi-ethnic sectors in Mindanao and other affected areas.

“We believe that both FAB and CAB are instruments in the attainment of social justice and in transformational developments in Bangsamoro region which have perpetually suffered both political and economic marginalization,” the intervenors said.

Intervenors include Mindanao Coalition of Development NGOs (MINCODE), Hon. Mohammad Kellie U. Antao, Caucus of Development NGO Networks (Code-NGO), Mindanao People’s Caucus Inc. (MPCI), Violeta M. Gloria, United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD), Allan Pisingan, Sister Arnold Maria Noel, Octavio A. Dinampo, Duma M. Mascud, Bangsamoro Alliance for Peace, Social and Economic Development (BAPSED), Almorzi Tabaraza and Bagbug Advocates for Peace and Human Rights.

Their petition in intervention was contrary to the position of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), former Senator Francisco Tatad, former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Archbishops Ramon C. Arguelles, Fernando Capalla and Romulo dela Cruz that FAB and CAB are flawed.

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 turnover 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 Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, among others.

The group said respondents, which include former chief Government Negotiator and current Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Marvic Leonen who negotiated the FAB and Miriam Coronel Ferrer who negotiated the CAB gave the MILF “unimaginable benefits” which the government may not legally grant without a yes from Congress.

Some of the benefits given include the creation of the Bangsamoro government, which shall have its own Shari’ah Justice System, auditing body, civil service and Commission on Elections. It shall have its own “expandable” territory, and shall have an asymmetric relationship with the central government. It shall also have its own military and police force.

But the intervenors said the FAB and CAB were a result of the various consultative process and inputs from various sectors.

“FAB and CAB passed through various consultative processes in diverse multicultural and multi-ethnic sectors in Mindanao and other areas to ensure that people are adequately informed of [the] substance and are able to provide recommendatory inputs, too, to both peace panels,” said the intervenors who claimed they were directly affected by the armed conflict in the south.

The intervenors said it was “grossly irresponsible” for other groups to call for the nullification of what has been forged from 17 years of negotiations.