A letter to Filipinos from Mohagher Iqbal

My countrymen,

The truth is that up to this moment, there is no clear unanimity of opinion about the necessity and urgency of passing the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress. Some doubted seriously the need for such a law.  This calls for this brief rejoinder.
 

Following are some of the compelling reasons why the BBL should be passed by Congress, as the right thing to do:

1. The BBL is the product of 17 years of long, harsh, and difficult negotiations between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). I don’t think the MILF would ever agree—or is capable—to negotiate again for such a long period of time. If we miss this opportunity, I don’t think a similar opportunity will ever present itself again in a generation or two from now. The next generation of Moro leaders, young and idealist, would be expected to be more radical than the contemporary Moro leaders, who, as a consequence of their 43 long years of struggle, are more pragmatic and reasonable; 

2. The BBL is a menu for the unity of this country and antidote to secession. What sends people to secede is if they are deprived, oppressed, and persecuted. A contented, happy and developed population will think twice or thrice before they would embark on a bloody adventure where everybody is a loser;

3. The BBL has addressed most if not all of the legitimate grievances of the Moros against the government. Therefore, any armed group especially new ones will have no reason or cause to fight the government. They will not succeed, because the people will not support them anymore;

4. The passage of the BBL will promote peace and security, progress, and development not only in the Bangsamoro and Mindanao but also for the entire country. Those monies used to buy weapons and ammunition will be used to build roads, irrigations, clinics, etc.;

5. Once the BBL is passed, the MILF, which is the largest and strongest revolutionary organizations in this country, will rejoin the mainstream society and they will become productive. More importantly, they can be a very reliable and effective partner of the government both in nation-building and defending this country;

6. If the BBL is disapproved, the MILF will eventually weaken and those espousing for radical agenda will become stronger, because they have proved the MILF wrong in pursuing the path of peace; 

7. Failure to pass the BBL will also result in widespread frustration that can generate new anti-government activities, even granting the MILF will stay faithful to what it had stated time and again that even if the BBL will not pass Congress, it will always pursue the path of peace in the resolution of the Moro Problem or Question in Mindanao. Besides, local and foreign radical groups will make Mindanao their safe havens; and
 

8. There is no other option except the option of peace that is almost equal to the passage of the BBL. War to the government and the MILF is not an option. I am sure Congress will not also consider war as an option.

 

On the issue of whether or not the MILF can be trusted, one has to examine the track records of both the government and the MILF from the time they started their negotiations in January 1997.

The truth is that most of the violations of the ceasefire especially the declaration of two all-out wars (2000 and 2003) were committed by the government. Then, the ceasefire and the peace negotiation were holding and moving, respectively.  

The recent tragic incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 25, was also the handiwork of the government. The PNP SAF commandos entered an MILF community, fully armed, deliberately violating the ceasefire and the Terms of Reference of the AHJAH, which required “prior coordination” with the other party. The commandos also considered the MILF as “enemy” in their planning of the operation. Who therefore is untrustworthy?

Trust is something to be earned, not much by what you say but mainly by what you do and act. Trust cannot happen in a flash; it is the result of painstaking and sincere effort. 

But trust can only be known after one has dealt with someone; meaning, trust can only be known or measured after a deal has been consummated.  To prove that the MILF is trustworthy, the first thing is to try it. But to ensure that no serious damage is in the offing, there must be strong safety measures.

In this regard, the government and MILF has set up the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) which is tasked to the compliance of the two parties on all the agreements they have signed. It is led by former EU Ambassador to the Philippines, Alistair MacDonald.
 

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Mohagher Iqbal is the chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's peace panel. He has been with the MILF for 45 years, and in the peace talks for over 17 years.