Grave reservation (2)

Pat Diaz

Conclusion

GENERAL Santos City — Last Sept. 4, President Duterte met the MILF leaders led by Chairman Murad Ebrahim and the 20-member BTC to address these concerns and set another meeting on Sept. 14 together with Senate and House leaders led by Senate President Pimentel and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. In that meeting, President Duterte vowed again “to push for the passage of the BBL”.

5. In the Sept. 14 meeting, as expected, Duterte assured the Moro and Congress leaders that he would ‘continue to husband the approval of BBL until its implementation”. But, as seen in the GMA News and ABS-CBN News reports two hours after, there was nothing conclusive and reassuring. Peace Secretary Jesus Dureza, who spoke to reporters, assured – as he usually does – that all was well and will be, contrary to his narrations.

GMA News quoted Dureza’s quotation of what Duterte had “just said” that in his brand of Pilipino is incoherent, rambling, tentative.

“Meron akong plano at tawagin ko uli kayo. Mag-usap tayo. It’s really how to nurture na talagang papasa iyan kasi ‘pag pakawalan mo iyan, certify mo lang iyan, pagdating doon may mga question pa iyong ibang mga members of Congress dahil may Constitutional issues pa iyan,”

“Diba dati akala natin merong mag-author lang, bahala na. Pabayaan mo na ang Kongreso diyan. Naku, ‘pag pakawalan mo iyan at hindi mo gawan ng game plan from the executive, baka hindi mo ma-ano…”.

In an ABS-CBS News report. Dureza spoke of “a discussion on both sides” but regretted he could not reveal “[a]ll the other details”. He elaborated what the President had said in his own brand of Pilipino.

The President has “a game plan that is still being worked out by the Office of the President, in coordination with leadership of Congress, on how to see to it that the BBL will see its implementation.” It will ensure that Draft BBL 2017 will not suffer the same fate of Draft BBL 2014.

Is the “game plan” now “being worked out” by the OP? Duterte’s quoted statement in the GMA News report does not show it. Besides, Dureza said “Duterte and the MILF will again meet to discuss more details about the President’s plan”. How can the OP “work out” on the plan when “more details” are still to be discussed by the President and the MILF in another meeting? By “again”, Dureza implied there had been a “first” meeting? Was there? When?

The above was also reported by the Inquirer.net and The Manila Bulletin.

6. Draft BBL 2017 had no sponsor as of Sept. 9. That could be the reason why it was not in the priority list of Ledac At this writing, there is no sponsor yet .

In the Congress, the bill has to be followed up. The Implementing Panels are mandated to do this task with  Section 2a of their TOR stating the division of labor between the GPH and MILF panels – the first “shall work for the passage of the proposed BBL in Congress” while the second “shall monitor the progress of the legislative process”. This should start with the transmittal of the Draft to the Congress.

7. What the Panels can do is like climbing the Himalayas. The task has become harder with the filing of three other BBL bills. While these three may be the exact or rehashed copies of Draft BBL 2014, they are bound to dilute Draft BBL 2017 – the revision of the Old Draft by refining the provisions objected to in the 16th Congress and furthering the convergence of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro-Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, 1996 Final Peace Agreement, RA Nos. 6734 and 9054, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, and more. This must be one reason for President Duterte to intervene with his new “game plan”
8. However, the “game plan” is still nebulous. Despite Dureza’s elaboration, it is still in the idea stage revealed to the MILF — “Meron akong plano at tawagin ko uli kayo. Mag-usap tayo.” It follows Duterte’s penchant for the incoherent, rambling and tentative.

The implication to Bangsamoro is worrisome. Duterte vowed to establish Bangsamoro, not according to the mechanisms and modalities agreed in the CAB-FAB but to what he wants. To do it his own way, he had the BPDR (Bangsamoro Peace and Development Roadmap) formulated. Evidently, the BPDR had not worked as he had wanted. But he himself modified it to accommodate his friend, MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari. He did translate it as the mandate of the New BTC in EO No. 08. s. 2016.

Draft BBL 2017 is not exactly what he wants. This is inferred from his statement at the turn-over rite, “There will be no objections (to) the provisions of all that is consistent with the Constitution and the aspiration of the Moro people.” This explains why the Draft was detained at the OP for a month before transmitting it to the Congress. His support of the Draft is in reality conditional.

9. Mindanews editor Carolyn O. Arguillas, to have a meaningful report of the Sept. 14 meeting asked key officials of the Congress, particularly Senate President Pimentel III and House Speaker Alvarez, and the BTC chair the following questions:

(1)Will the draft BBL finally have authors / sponsors so it can be filed as a bill in both houses of Congress?

(2) Will the President certify it as urgent?

(3) Has the Duterte administration’s Bangsamoro Peace and Development Roadmap which targeted the passage of the BBL by end of 2017, been abandoned in favor of a new roadmap?

(4) If yes, what is this new roadmap? Will the draft BBL be subsumed into the federalism track?

In her September 16 article, she wrote: “A number gave carefully crafted vague answers or did not answer these very simple questions” – concluding in bold headline, “Draft Bangsamoro Law still in limbo”.

Our grave reservation: Draft BBL 2017 is being tossed in treacherous waters. Will the “game plan” work this time to bring it safely ashore? What if it does not?

Will what had been denied under Aquino III be fulfilled under Duterte? We can hang on to vows and promises and speculate on new roadmaps and game plans until the day of reckoning by the end of the 17th Congress.  The MILF and MNLF will cooperate as much as and as long as they can – perhaps compromise more. But will the Moro extremists and militants?

(Patricio P. Diaz is the recipient of a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Titus Brandsma for his “commitment to education and public information to Mindanawons as journalist, educator and peace advocate. E-mail: patponcediaz@yahoo.com -Mindanews)