By Alden M. Monzon, BusinessWorld

FRUSTRATION hounded the second year anniversary of the signing of the negotiated settlement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with this sentiment stemming from the protracted debates and non-passage of a landmark law that would have otherwise created a new autonomous region on the watch of the MILF.

Yesterday marked two years since the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) was signed by both parties. MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Q. Iqbal said morale among their men are down because of how things had turned out with the shelved draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“There is widespread frustration on the ground and that is expected. As I said earlier, 17 long years of negotiation and expect the [BBL] to pass Congress and finally it did not pass,” Mr. Iqbal told reporters at the celebratory event at the Notre Dame University in Cotabato City.

Mr. Iqbal said they are not counting on its passage under the outgoing administration of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III, whose term ends in June.

“We are already giving up. Although theoretically it can still be done, but we do not do that because it is already contrary to the expectations of our countrymen,” he said.

“And even us, we don’t believe that they [legislators] who cannot finish it in one year could finish it in the remaining two months.”

Congress resumes briefly on May 23 until June 6. Both the House and Senate versions of the draft BBL are still on second reading.

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the government’s chief negotiator, said frustrations on the non-passage of the draft law should not dictate the direction of the overall peace process: “We have gone through many changes in the administration. The most important thing is that there is that commitment, that there is a constituency that will push for this and will see this through...”

The proposed law was effectively derailed in Congress by the Mamasapano killings of Jan. 25 last year. The aftermath of that terror-hunt operation, which led to a disastrous encounter between police and the MILF, was the biggest controversy to rock the Aquino administration.

Despite the expressed frustration, Mr. Iqbal expressed confidence in the peace process after the administration. “The way forward from now is really to proceed with the process [and] hopefully we will be able find a peaceful resolution [to] the conflict in Mindanao,” he said.