Lawmakers debate police coordination at BBL hearing

MANILA, Philippines—The specter of Mamasapano hung heavily over the congressional deliberations on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) on Thursday as lawmakers grappled with one question: Would policemen hunting down fugitives need to coordinate with the Bangsamoro government to enter its territory?

The question called to mind the events of Jan. 25 when 44 elite police commandos, under orders of superiors who had not coordinated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), died under enemy fire during an operation to arrest two international terrorists.

There were, however, no clear answers at the public hearing conducted by the 75-member ad hoc committee on the BBL in the House of Representatives.

The discussion stemmed from Section 1, Article XI on public order and safety of the draft law, which states that “there shall be cooperation and coordination between the central government and the Bangsamoro government through the intergovernmental relations mechanism.”

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said this provision might impede law enforcers from pursuing criminal elements in a Bangsamoro substate and lead to conditions similar to what the 44 Special Action Force commandos suffered in Mamasapano.

Following up on this point, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, the committee chair, said the coordination mechanism would mean the Philippine National Police (PNP) “cannot just immediately send troops” to pursue criminal elements in the Bangsamoro territory.

“It is a stumbling block to the PNP’s immediate action on peace and order due to this intergovernmental relations mechanism,” he said.

Rodriguez noted that there was no such mechanism in Republic Act No. 9054, the law creating the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which the BBL will repeal.

PNP officer in charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina was asked by Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop: “How would Napolcom resolve the concept of hot pursuit, if there is such a mechanism?”

Espina said the PNP would always need to coordinate with local units before entering a certain region in pursuit of its targets.

He said the coordination mechanism in the BBL was already “being practiced as we speak.”