Government peace panel chair Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer believes there is still a chance, however slim, that the proposed basic law on the Bangsamoro will be passed by Congress under this administration.
“We better much prefer to pass on a solution rather than a problem to the next President,” Ferrer said Monday during the launching of a book documenting the peace process. “So we are still trying very hard to get our legislators on board.”
Ferrer said losing another year or more may negate the positive strides made by both government and the MILF. These include socioeconomic programs already being implemented, the reconciliation measures put in place, and the decommissioning of weapons and combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other armed groups in the area.
“We might lose the hearts and minds of many of the people there, especially the youth and increase the risk of radicalization,” Ferrer said.
The two peace panel chairs of the GPH and MILF renewed their commitment to end the conflict in Mindanao, a year after the Mamasapano incident through the launching of the “Journey to Bangsamoro,” a compilation consisting of three (3) volumes outlining the phases of the Bangsamoro peace process from 1997-2014.
At least 66 lives were lost in January 25 last year when elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Special Action Force (SAF) conducted an operation to neutralize three high value targets hiding in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. Among these were 44 members of the PNP-SAF, 17 MILF combatants, and 5 civilians.
Aware that the event may be frowned upon by critics of the Bangsamoro peace process, she reminded the audience that it was also on 25 January 2014 the two panels “signed the last annex that sealed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which is the annex on normalization as well as the addendum on Bangsamoro waters.”
Ferrer said the difficulties faced by the BBL passage are not insurmountable with determination and support from different sectors. “They cause setbacks—yes, but not the collapse of a generally healthy process.”
Among those who attended the event were Ambassador Franz Jessen of the European Union (EU) and the ambassadors of Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Norway, Sri Lanka, Singapore, South Africa, and Turkey; as well as members from the diplomatic community of Spain, Greece, Argentina, Pakistan, Netherlands, UAE, France, Canada, South Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Australia, Angola, Singapore, Russia, Switzerland, USA, and the UN.
The launching was led by the European Union, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF,) and the Center for Human Dialogue (CHD) at the Pasay Hall, Shangri-La Hotel, Makati. (PIA)