Duterte pleads for patience from Moros anew on BBL

A member of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) stands guard inside an MILF camp in Maguindanao. MILF continues to pin its hopes on Congress’ passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which Moro rebel leaders said would be the antidote to the rise of extremism in Mindanao. —JEOFFREY MAITEM

DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte urged the Bangsamoro people to be a little more patient after several Moro leaders expressed restiveness at the progress of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress.

“Give the government a chance to work out something,” Mr. Duterte said at the Davao International Airport upon arriving from a trip to India shortly after midnight on Friday.

Two tasks

He said he was studying “if I can do it administratively without violating any provision in the Constitution” and Congress could subsequently change it, if needed.

Moreover, the president said the passage of the BBL could happen while legislators work on amending the Charter to pave the way for a federal form of government.

He admitted that several congressional leaders had questioned the constitutionality of some provisions in the BBL that was drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

Echoes

“Let’s avoid violence if the thing that we are working on now does not fit the paradigm that you want. We can always talk and change everything,” Mr. Duterte said.

“Let me make myself very clear. I do not want violence. I do not want war. I only want to talk,” the President said, adding that he was only fulfilling the promises made by deceased former President Corazon Aquino.

“I just said it as an echo and a re-echo of what was promised them. They’re now asking for it during our time. They’re threatening to go to war [again],” Mr. Duterte said.

“That’s the last thing I would want to happen to my country. To again wage war against my own people,” the President said. “It’s not my style to do that because you are not criminals.”

Preferred version

But, he said, he would have no other choice but “to stand for the republic, whether I like it our not,” if worse comes to worst.

The President made the remarks hours after several hundred Maranaos trooped to the Mindanao State University in Marawi City to attend a Senate hearing on the BBL.

Agakhan Sharief, chair of the Bangsamoro National Movement for Peace and Development, said they were urging lawmakers to pass the BBL version crafted by the BTC.

Senator JV Ejercito said the public hearing was held purposedly to get the feedback of people.

“We want to directly hear from the people what their sentiments are. We want to hear their concerns. It’s important for us to directly talk to the stakeholders,” Ejercito said.

Contrary to the common perception, lawmakers are also for peace and want to pass the BBL, but they also have to make sure the enacted law conforms with the Constitution.

Constitutional issues

“Everybody is for peace but if there is a violation of the Constitution, we have to question that. It is our sworn duty to uphold the Constitution,” he said.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said they also met with Moro leaders, including Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Ebrahim Murad, during the hearing in Cotabato City on Thursday.

“We are very happy that the main groups, such as the MILF and the (Moro National Liberation Front), have shown its full support in pursuing this (peace effort),” Zubiri said.

He said lawmakers recognized that a political solution was crucial to prevent a repeat of what happened in Marawi City in May last year.