MANILA, Philippines - The substitute draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) filed by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may encourage "personalistic" politics and political dynasties, the government peace panel said Monday.
Peace panel chair Professor Miriam Colonel Ferrer issued this warning after Marcos "radically altered" the allocation of seats in the proposed Bangsamoro parliament.
In the original BBL proposed by Malacañang and supported by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), 24 seats in the Bangsamoro parliament were allocated to parliamentary districts, 30 seats to party-lists and the remaining six seats to reserved seats for non-Moro indigenous peoples, settler communities and women, among others.
In his version of the BBL, Marcos "jacked up" district representation up to 40 seats, reserved seats were increased to 12 and only eight seats were allocated for party-lists.
"Lopsided representation in favor of district representatives, presumably elected on the basis of plurality or highest number of votes, will perpetuate personalistic politics, clan dynasties and weak political parties," said Ferrer.
"On the other hand, we believe that allocating more seats to regional political parties and sectoral representatives would encourage the practice and development of a political culture in the region that is based on broad-based political parties with defined programs of governance competing in free and fair elections," Ferrer added.
With the Senate plenary debates on the BBL set this month, Ferrer appealed to senators to seriously reconsider the seat allocations in the regional parliament.
She said the proposed Bangsamoro parliament envisioned in the seeks to ensure inclusive and more participatory governance.
"Allocating a large majority of the seats of the Bangsamoro parliament for parties and marginalized sectors will encourage politics based on principles and not personalities. It will empower the different segments of the people in the Bangsamoro," Ferrer said.
The controversial BBL embodies the landmark peace agreement between the government and the MILF. It aims to create a Bangsamoro political entity that would replace the "failed" Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Opposition to the BBL grew this year after 44 Special Action Force commandos will killed in an encounter with MILF combatants and other rebels during a anti-terror operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January.