EDITORIAL - Independent BBL review could backfire on Aquino

At first, it seems like a neat move for embattled President Aquino to appoint highly respected and credible private citizens to act as independent convenors to a peace summit he wants called to review the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. Among the names he mentioned were former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., business tycoon Jaime Augusto Zobel, and Manila archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

At the very least, we should expect to hear very soon voices other than those of Ma. Teresa Deles and Miriam Coronel Ferrer, the government peace negotiators who, in the eyes of the public, appear to be working for the interests of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front than for the government that appointed them. The sovereign position of the Philippines should now be considered in good hands.

So, is this a neat move by Aquino? As far as the ability to conduct an intelligent, dispassionate, qualified and thorough review of the BBL, nobody could ask for more from the people named by the president. Once they speak their minds and propound their arguments, it will be extremely difficult to hold a contrary view or position.

And that is why the move may not be as neat for the interests of Aquino himself. What position will surely ensue from this endeavor is certain to boomerang on the president, whose idea of peace is the attainment of peace alone and never mind if it comes at such a terrible cost, such as the loss of sovereignty and patrimony over a large chunk of Philippine territory.

If the group will be as independent as Aquino says they should be -- at least that is what he said in public -- then the president could be in for a rough awakening. There seems to be a palpable unanimity in all legal opinions that have so far surfaced on the matter of the BBL and its legality and constitutionality. And that unanimity points to the unconstitutionality of many of the BBL's provisions.

So unless all of those who have so far expressed their positions spoke from severely impaired and erroneous conclusions, there is little reason to expect that these similarly intelligent, upright and no-nonsense personalities will put forth a drastically different stand. The possibility is strong and distinct that they will only serve to reinforce and assert the validity of all previous conclusions that the BBL is in fact shot through with unconstitutionalities.

And if that is the case, Aquino will find himself holding a limp bag and may no longer have anything to parley around with anymore. Instead of finding very strong endorsers of the BBL in its current form, Aquino may find himself with nothing to push for anymore. He may wish he never made the appointments at all. The move was neat as far as reviewing the BBL is concerned. As a vehicle to prop up Aquino and his sagging political fortunes, it will only drive him deeper into the mud.