BBL: Road to peace or more violence?

We had coffee with Speaker Sonny Belmonte (SB) in his office at the Batasan after his meeting with some members of Congress to discuss the proposed House Bill 4994, more known as the Bang-samoro Basic Law or BBL. As told to us by the Speaker, the draft bill has already been sent to Congress by Malacañang and certified as urgent. With just a few plenary sessions left before Congress adjourns for a three-week break, this looks like a major challenge for SB considering the timeline of having to herd 290 congressmen into approving this very important and historical piece of legislation.

Being the Speaker of the House is probably one of the most difficult positions in government, considering one has to bring together close to 300 different personalities with diverse persuasions. Speaker Belmonte agrees the draft bill should undergo a thorough review because it would pave the creation of a political entity with broader powers than what the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had, hence the ad-hoc committee composed of 75 people who will work even during Congress’ recess period to conduct meetings, consultations and discussions with all the groups and parties that have a stake and would be affected by the passage of the law.

Although the draft came from Malacañang, the provisions outlined in the document are “not carved in stone,” the Speaker assured Leyte Congressman Martin Romualdez who aired the concerns of the minority and the opposition for the bill to be “all inclusive.” Like Senator Miriam Santiago, Congressman Romualdez – who also happens to be the president of the Philippine Constitution Association – wants to make sure that the framework agreement will not violate the Constitution.

Speaker Belmonte said they will try their best to review and refine the details and hopefully have the bill approved on third reading by mid-December, adding that we need to put an end to the four-decade-old Mindanao conflict. However, the passage of the bill will also depend on the efforts of their counterparts in the Senate, especially since the Senate President already said there might not be enough time to pass the draft bill this year.

There are those who fear that the draft Bangsamoro law could further polarize Mindanao, and create an “independent state” that would not be subject to the laws of the Philippine government. However, supporters of HB 4994 like the Initiatives for International Dialogue or IID, a Philippine-based advocacy group committed to the Bangsamoro peace process, are hopeful that “peace and development can finally take full root and prosper where conflict and displacement has long prevailed.”

No doubt there are vested interest groups that are not too keen to see lasting peace in Mindanao, particularly extremists who could find themselves reduced to insignificance once peace reigns in a region ravaged by conflict from the time of Spanish colonization, with Muslim Filipinos fiercely resisting those who would seek to subjugate them and interfere with their culture and traditions. That is why the ad-hoc committee chaired by Cagayan de Oro Congressman Rufus Rodriguez will be going around Mindanao, with several teams deployed to conduct hearings and consultations with those who will be affected by the proposed bill.

But as the IID had noted, there must be respect for the right of the people of Mindanao to self-determination aspirations, as well as recognition and strengthening of “customary laws and indigenous governance and justice practices towards the promotion of peace and development.”

Experts note that a big apprehension is that the Bangsamoro Law could become “a formula to dismember the Republic of the Philippines.” However, the BBL – once enacted into law — would need ratification through a plebiscite. Perhaps we could look at the Spanish model with its autonomous regions that exercise self-governance with their own organic laws, yet still fall under the ambit of the Spanish Constitution.

These include the regions of Catalonia, Galicia, Andalusia, Navarre, Castile and Leon, among others, with each exercising their own Executive, Legislative and Judicial powers. In fact, legislators and members of the government peace panel have been visiting some of these autonomous regions to get inputs and insights on security as well as the standards of governance and administration enforced by these autonomous political and administrative entities – with the Spanish government still exercising supervision and national laws having primacy over the autonomous region.

The international community also expressed support and approval for the sincere efforts shown by the national government and the MILF in crafting a landmark, mutually acceptable agreement that could go a long way towards establishing peace in the strife-torn areas in the south. As our friend Canadian Ambassador Bill Reeder said, the recent developments augur a new era full of hope that could spell long-term prosperity for Mindanao.

The passage of the Bangsamoro basic law is “a gift of peace that can fulfill the genuine aspirations of the Bangsamoro and enable families and communities to start anew in an atmosphere of certainty, stability and security,” the UK-based non-government organization International Alert also noted.

No doubt the road to lasting peace is a difficult one, with years of conflict, uncertainty, suspicion and long-held resentments still harbored by many people in Mindanao.

For many decades, too many lives have been lost with so much violence. Speaker Belmonte asked, “Are we just going to be contented that instead of an everyday bombing in Mindanao, it will only be once a week? Don’t we want peace everyday?”

We are at the crossroads — either the Bangsamoro basic law leads us towards the road to peace – or the road to more violence.

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]