By Genalyn D. Kabiling, Charissa M. Luci, and Francis T. Wakefield, Manila Bulletin

 

With time running out for the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the 16th Congress, the Aquino government is drawing up an “action plan” to keep alive the peace process in Mindanao even beyond its term.

 

President Aquino has asked Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles to lead the consultations on the Mindanao peace plan with various stakeholders, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), according to Presidential Communications Operations Herminio Coloma Jr.

 

The latest order from the President came after Congress leaders conceded that the Palace-backed BBL could no longer be passed due to lack of time. Congress will adjourn this week as candidates start to campaign for the May elections.

 

“Through Executive Secretary (Paquito) Ochoa, the President has directed the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) to firm up in consultation with stakeholders an action plan for promoting the peace process in the transition period during the remainder of the current administration’s term and up to the assumption of the next administration,” Coloma said over government radio.

 

According to Deles, they would include the MILF in the consultation process in a bid to ensure the implementation of the peace agreement after the term of President Aquino.

 

“We will still need to do consultations including and especially with the MILF, but measures will include strengthening existing peace bodies and mechanisms to include the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, ceasefire and other joint security mechanisms, joint bodies for socioeconomic interventions,” Deles said in a statement.

 

Deles said they intend to operationalize the recommendations of the transitional justice and reconciliation commission on the healing of the wounds of war, and moving towards sharpened interfaith and multicultural dialogue and cooperation.

 

They also plan to discuss and undertake the “necessary groundwork to ensure the success of the legal political track in the next administration,” Deles said.

 

“We need to do all that is possible to ensure the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro beyond this administration,” she added.

 

After the signing of the peace pact with the MILF in March 2014, President Aquino strongly pushed for the timely approval of the BBL to advance peace and development in the south.

 

Congress deliberations on the BBL however have been marred by concerns on alleged unconstitutional provisions of the bill as well as the Mamasapano incident in January 2015.

 

Still, Aquino pressed his case and even held a number of meetings with lawyers, arguing the bill seeking to create a new Bangsamoro political entity stands on firm constitutional ground.

 

The passage of the President’s pet bill has been pending in the House of Representatives due to lack of quorum in the deliberations.

 

At the Senate, the Palace-drafted peace measure has faced strong opposition from Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. due to concerns some provisions may be illegal. Marcos instead presented a substitute bill to Congress that included dozens of amendments, to ensure its constitutionality.

 

EXCLUDED FROM THE AGENDA

 

House Majority Leader and chairman of the House Committee on Rules Rep. Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II is seeking the exclusion of the BBL in the Lower Chamber’s agenda and said that the Lower House will devote its time in passing other significant measures.

 

“I am recommending to exclude BBL in our agenda in the remaining days of our session following the separate public admissions of the Speaker (Feliciano ‘Sonny’ Belmonte Jr.) and the Senate President (Franklin Drilon) that the proposal is dead,” he said.

 

“As a law, virtually the BBL is dead. But, we will continue to consider it to get the arguments on the record,” Belmonte said.

 

House Bill 5811, which substituted House Bill 4994 or An Act Providing Basic Law for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BLBAR) seeks to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with a Bangsamoro juridical entity.

 

EU SUPPORT FOR MINDANAO PEACE

 

The European Union (EU) has recently reaffirmed its support to the continuation of the Bangsamoro peace process as it is confident that the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) would be a vital factor in enticing more investments in Mindanao and the rest of the country from European companies.

 

The EU, through its Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen, said the element of peace is also very important for them because it affects their work in the country.

 

“The element of peace is very important for investments,” Jessen said during the launch of the book “Journey to Bangsamoro” at the Makati Shangrila Hotel, Makati City last January 25.

 

“Peace and stability are key factors for investors that influence their decisions to develop Mindanao. The EU’s role in the peace process is to ensure its success because its result would affect us in a global scale,” he added.

 

The launch coincided with the anniversary of the Mamasapano incident which Government of the Philippines (GPH) chief peace negotiator Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer described as timely and fitting.

 

“That the EU and the MILF and the CHD (Center for Humanitarian Dialogue) chose to launch their book today on the first anniversary [of the Mamasapano incident] may be frowned upon by the critics of the peace process on the Bangsamoro. But to all those who have been part of this journey, today is the best day to reaffirm the commitment of both parties to end the conflict and achieve the needed social, economic and political reform that would sustain the peace and bring about happier beginnings and endings in the lives of the people,” Ferrer said.

 

The EU ambassador added that more countries in the EU have expressed their support for the Bangsamoro peace process and in the region’s economic development. But these efforts to boost the economy in Bangsamoro are being deterred by the uncertain status of the passage of the Bangsamoro law.

 

“The European investments are not that strong now because they have uncertainties about the peace process,” Jessen noted.

 

Jessen reiterated the EU’s eagerness and readiness to support the calls for a negotiated political settlement in the southern Philippines. He said the EU was willing to share the different lessons they have gathered from other peace processes especially in the decommissioning of combatants. “We have quite some experience in the decommissioning across the world and we are very happy to share those experiences and that’s where we see our contributions in the peace process.”

 

For his part, MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal said that “the successes of the negotiations are crowning achievements and the already voluminous signed agreements are feats of a lifetime.”