The first Standard Talks forum was held Wednesday, with resource persons discussing the pros and cons of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
The bill is up for deliberation in both Houses of Congress, and its legislative journey has not been smooth. Early on, it had been assailed by numerous sectors as violative of the provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
And then, 44 policemen died in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January as they pursued terrorists who, it turned out, had been harbored by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in their “territory.” The events of January 25 and its aftermath have, rightly or wrongly, highlighted the people’s reservations about the proposed law and magnified concerns about its unconstitutionality.
One of the panel members said discussions on the proposed law cannot be anything but legalistic, because it is in the details of the provisions. He listed several questionable provisions that show why the BBL simply cannot be passed in its current form.
Members of the peace panel of both the Philippine government and the MILF appealed to the media to be fair in their reporting of the peace negotiations and the deliberations on the law. It has, after all, several “game-changing features”.
They conceded as much: That the BBL is not a perfect document and as such, its imperfections could still be improved.
Where, then, does the President’s pronouncement – threat, really – that we have to pass the law as is, or else we will soon be counting body bags?
In the end, the exchange had to be cut short due to time constraints even as comments and questions from the panelists and the live and online audience were only beginning to come in.
Certainly, more conversations like this are needed in various formats and involving various audiences as more questions are raised and previously-secret arrangements are unearthed. We also want to know more about the game-changing features that the negotiators described.
There is no doubt that the fate of Mindanao’s people will remain in conversations for a long time. After all, Mindanao is the second-biggest island in the country, is home to Muslims, Christians and many other groups, and is resource rich. Unfortunately, it has long been plagued with strife, stunted development. The stakes are high and the alternative is unthinkable.
So yes, bring the conversations on.