COTABATO CITY, Philippines—To give up and fight, to not do anything or to continue to pursue peace.
These are the only options for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after Congress failed to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will implement that group’s peace agreement with the Philippine government.
“Nowadays, one can be easily swayed by emotions, rhetoric and agitations. There are calls for war, as well as the passive acceptance of this fate of the BBL by some sectors,” MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal said on Monday during the second anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signing.
READ: MILF admits frustration amid Bangsamoro agreement’s 2nd anniv
Iqbal, during his speech at Notre Dame University here, said “it is a worrying situation.”
“There are actually only three options left for the MILF and the Bangsamoro: one is to do away with the peace process and revert to armed struggle; or to pursue further the peace process, the BBL especially; or not to do anything at all,” he explained.
He said the MILF will not go to war or accept the fate of the BBL.
READ: Failure to pass BBL not a reason to stop Bangsamoro agreement celebration
“We are more determined to assert the full, unconditional implementation of the CAB, especially the enactment of the BBL,” he said.
Iqbal called the CAB a “summation of all [their] aspirations and emotions.”
He said, however, that the CAB is “not spared from mockery and opposition.”
“There are those who see no need, meaning and wisdom over this commemorative event. For them, the non-passage of BBL totally diminishes the value of the CAB,” he said.
Iqbal said the Filipino people should not take the CAB fo granted, although the BBL was supposed to provide for the implementation of many of its provisions.
“The CAB is very much alive. Even though we suffer the setback in the BBL, it is not the end of the road,” he noted.
During his speech, Iqbal blamed the groups that blocked the passage of BBL in Congress.
“They all ganged up together and worked their way triumphantly. Who are they? They are those who are insatiable with wealth and power, and those still enslaved by religious bigotry,” he said.
Iqbal called on to the presidential and senatorial candidates in the upcoming May national elections to “take their unequivocal stand on the CAB and the BBL.”
“You will surely inherit this political problem. We urge all of you to clarify to us the policy that your administration will pursue vis-à-vis the CAB and the BBL. The Bangsamoro votes may pale in comparison to the votes of Christians, but even a single vote can make a difference,” he said. RAM