PEACE TALK. President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim sit down to talk the prospects of Mindanao peace during a one-on-one meeting at Hotel Elena in Davao City back in June 2016. (PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO MINDANEWS)
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CAMP Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat — The chair of the Moro Islamic LIberation Front (MILF) has acknowledged that the versions of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) passed by the Senate and House of Representatives are “very diluted” and may create a Bangsamoro political entity that will be less autonomous than the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) but hopes to regain the provisions they lost at the Bicameral Conference Committee next month.

MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said they will exert all efforts and decide after the final version comes out, what their option will be, in consultation with the Moro people, if they will accept or reject it.

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“Always the process of the MILF is we will consult our people so maybe before we accept, we will conduct consultation,” he said, noting that “even if we accept it, if the people don’t accept it, don’t support us, then we cannot do much if the people will not support us,” he added.

Murad explained that if the versions are not changed or improved during the bicam, then the final version will be one that is “partially compliant, partially non-compliant to the agreement,” refering to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) that the government and MILF signed in March 2014.

“So now we have to decide… what will be the bigger advantage for the Bangsamoro people, for our struggle?” he said.

He explained they will analyze the impact and consequences of their decision on the final version of the Bangsamoro law.

“We will see .. if we do not accept, what will happen? If we accept, what will happen? Now, alam natin that the BBL is intended to solve not only one problem but multifaceted problems. Maraming problema kailangang i-address now, how … will this BBL that will be passed .. become instrumental in solving these problems? So basically ang decision namin will lie on how much the BBL can address the problem that we are confronting.”

He noted there are many provisions in the Armm law that are not in the BBL versions although there are also provisions in the BBL that are not in the Armm.

The BBL is supposed to be the enabling law of the CAB, to pave the way for the creation of a new autonomous political entity that would replace the now 28-year old Armm, a region autonomous in name but lacking in fiscal autonomy, among others. The Armm had earlier been referred to as “a failed experiment.”

Murad added there are many provisions in the BBL that were changed which “resulted in violation of the CAB” and new provisions introduced that were not in the agreement or the Armm but which “substantially watered down yung concept, the very concept of self-determination.”

Murad said there are provisions where the Senate and House versions differ so they think what they lost may be restored there “if both houses agree.”

“We recognize the reality… the struggle is still ongoing sa aming side… we will still try our best na ma-regain whatever is lost dito sa BBL,” Murad said, adding they will exhaust all avenues” and that aside from bringing their concern with the President.

“We will also bring up our concerns with the leadership of the Senate and leadership of the House.”

Between now and July 9, the start of the bicam meeting, Murad said they will “lobby with the leadership of the house (and senate) then also individual lawmakers” on concerns about the watered down version. He said they would present the matrix showing the versions drafted by the BTC, the House and the Senate.

The bicam, composed of 28 legislators – 18 from the House and 10 from the Senate – is tasked to “settle, reconcile or thresh out differences or disagreements on any provision of the bill.” A number of the members introduced amendments to the BBL in the House and Senate.

Murad said they expressed to the President their apprehensions over the proposed House and Senate amendments to the BBL drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC). He said they told the President “we are very concerned about what the House and Senate would pass because there is so many amendments, many deletions, many revisions.”

“Well, hindi naman sa completely lost but kung titingnan mo, it is … maybe very diluted na talaga. Very diluted,” he said. (carolyn o. arguillas of mindanews)

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