TWO lawmakers filed treason and inciting to sedition complaints against the government peace panel and advocates of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before a Manila court Thursday.
Included in the complaint are government peace panel chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and even former government peace panel chair and now Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen.
Reps. Lito Atienza of Buhay party-list and Jonathan de la Cruz of Abakada party-list filed the complaint before Senior Deputy City Prosecutor Eufrosino Sulla at the Manila City Hall.
Instead of protecting the interest of the republic, the government peace negotiators have given in to all the demands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Atienza said in a statement. While Buhay party-list stand for peace, it should be achieved in accordance with the Constitution, Atienza added.
“The acts of the respondents, in executing the Framework Agreement and in proposing the BBL, also effectively aided the MILF armed forces to successfully assert their existence as a separate and independent state. Therefore, the respondents must be held liable for the crime of treason…,” Atienza said.
De la Cruz said the BBL does not conform with the provisions of the Constitution.
“What we should be doing is strengthening the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), as provided for in the Constitution, instead of approving the BBL which is fraught with unconstitutional provisions. They have given in to all the demands of the MILF, which is a rebel group. The Framework Agreement they signed is one-sided. That is tantamount to treason,” De la Cruz said.
Atienza said the peace panel should not have committed the government, Congress and the Filipino people to dubious agreement, then hold the nation hostage.
With some encouragement from the Palace, the House is ramming through a Palace-supported draft of the BBL, which is expected to go to plenary debates next week.
Atienza urged his colleagues to stand up for what is really good for the nation. He added that passing the BBL would be the equivalent to giving up the country’s sovereignty.
“We are not for violence and war. We are for peace. But peace that will continue uniting the nation and not disintegrating it. What they are approving now are provisions which are dangerous, to say the least. The creeping expansion provision was retained; by 10 percent vote, contiguous barangays can opt to join the Bangsamoro later on. The amendment to guaranteeing non-secession of the Bangsamoro later on was stricken down,” Atienza said.
Atienza said the peace panel acted irresponsibly for pushing for a law that is filled with constitutional infirmities.
The complainants said the peace panel made the Muslim community believe that the BBL will bring lasting peace in Mindanao, even if some of the proposed law’s provisions run counter to the Constitution.
The Palace defended the government peace negotiators and the MILF.
During a press briefing, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said he could not comment on the treason charges filed by Atienza and De la Cruz.
But Coloma defended members of the government and MILF peace panels, saying they have committed no crime.
“We have no basis to comment since we do not know yet what the particular accusations are in the complaint that was filed,” said Coloma.
But, Coloma said what the peace negotiators have done was their duty to promote the good and welfare of the Philippines.