MILF on anti-BBL ad of retired generals: Why only now and why?

THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front questioned the timing of the paid advertisement of retired generals against the Bangsamoro Basic Law that came out early this week in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“While we respect their views and the reasons for coming out with the manifesto but we keep asking ourselves why only now and why?  The military has always been part of the peace process of the MILF since 1996,” the MILF said in an editorial posted through its official website luwaran.com on Wednesday.

The BBL is seen to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and is currently pending in Congress.

The former generals expressed that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, Comprehensive and Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the BBL are “seriously flawed” because: it violated the Constitution; seeks to establish a political entity which has all the makings of a state and which has the effect of creating an “imperium et imperio (state within a state); insidiously undermine national security; wrongly presume the rebel MILF to be the representative of the major stakeholders; grievously failed to provide very clear terms of demobilization of the MILF forces and the decommissioning of all types of weaponry.”

Most of the signatories were prominent generals, four of which were former chiefs of staff of the AFP.

“Of course, we do not know all of the officers listed in the paid advertisement but surely we know many of them closely either in combat or in peace-making,” the MILF said.

They defended that the negotiations were a give and take and not a “one-way” traffic.

“One cannot impose on the other party; that is not negotiation. The government had tried this approach, at least three times: 2000 all-out war, 2003 all-out war, and 2008 war after the MOA-AD was declared unconstitutional. Each time this approach was tried or resorted to, it always forced the parties to resume the peaceful path of negotiation. The MILF is game (and sincere) in talking peace but it is also ready to defend itself at all times,” it said.

The MILF said it was difficult for them to understand the retired generals’ view related to forging agreements in the negotiations.

“Why did they speak now when the BBL is already on the verge of passing (or not passing) in Congress and the election fever is already felt strongly? The truth is that they may have the best of intentions but the timing seems not perfect,” the MILF said.

The group also said that the declaration of the CAP as unconstitutional and void would have radical and adverse consequence to the whole peace process and ceasefire with the MILF.

The AFP, meanwhile, remained supportive of the BBL despite the disagreement of some retired generals.

AFP spokesperson Col. Restituto Padilla said that the military’s support for the BBL will not affect the sentiments of the retired generals.

“As servicemen and women, we set aside our personal biases and work for the common good. The AFP has provided its comments and inputs in the preparation of the BBL and leave it to the collective wisdom of those within the policy & legal branch of government to discern what is best for the nation,” Padilla said.

“As we have previously stated, the AFP supports peace initiatives that will stop violence, silence guns, bring stability and normalcy to our communities, and allow for the economic development of our provinces for the benefit of our citizens,” he added.