News Analysis: Aquino urges passage of Bangsamoro law as prospects dim due to Mamasapano incident

A few months ago, the passage of a law that would create a Bangsamoro sub-state in southern Philippines would have been a "walk in the park" because of the firm control by President Benigno S. Aquino III of both houses of Congress in the Philippines.

But now after the botched police operation on Jan. 25 in the town or Mamasapano, province of Maguindanao in Mindanao where 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police were killed by guerrillas of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), everything has changed.

President Aquino himself has admitted that the Mamasapano bloodbath has sowed doubts in the minds of Filipinos on the sincerity of the MILF towards the peace process but he added that this could be addressed by pushing through with the debates on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Exactly one year after the Aquino government signed a peace agreement with the MILF in Manila, Aquino announced on Friday the formation of a council composed of business, legal and religious leaders to save the BBL by answering all the criticisms hurled against the measure.

In a televised address, Aquino named Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., and businessman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala as among those who will compose the National Peace Council.

In his address, Aquino said if the BBL is discarded, Filipinos would stand to lose more since more people would be dragged into the conflict and the chance to achieve lasting peace and prosperity in Mindanao would be lost.

Bangsamoro, which literally means "nation of Moros," is a sub- state with sovereign powers to be governed exclusively by Filipino Muslims.

The President said that those who are neglected and abused by the system and by institutions would further feel mistreated and suffer more if the BBL won't pass in Congress.

"This is the crossroad that we face: We take pains to forge peace today, or we count body bags tomorrow," Aquino warned.

According to Aquino, the BBL "is one of the most important proposed bills of his administration." He said that the law, if passed, would answer two of the most pressing problems: poverty and violence in the country.

He said that the sacrifices of those who had given their lives for the much desired peace in Mindanao and the extensive negotiations with the MILF that spanned 17 years would be wasted if the BBL is not approved.

Official government estimates have placed the number of those killed in the four-decade old conflict in the Southern Philippines at 150,000 with millions of others displaced and billions of pesos in economic losses.

The council that Aquino has created would invite other " responsible and respected leaders" to participate in the review of the BBL.

"They will dissect the proposed law in a calm and reasonable manner that will not incite anger and hopelessness. This way, the BBL can be improved," Aquino said.

Critics of the peace process blamed the MILF for the bloodbath, even after the admission of the sacked SAF commander Director Getulio Nape that he deliberately bypassed the ceasefire procedures because he distrusted both the military and the MILF.

The SAF commandos infiltrated Moro rebel-controlled Mamasapano to capture Malaysian terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, alias "Marwan," and Amin Baco, alias "Jihad," and their Filipino associate, Basit Usman.

The commandos killed Marwan, but they were ambushed by rebels from the MILF, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a splinter group from the MILF, and other armed groups as they withdrew from the town.

The MILF lost 17 fighters in the clash while five civilians died in the crossfire. Baco and Usman escaped, and are now being hunted by the military.

The draft BBL has been attacked by members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, including political allies of the President, for its supposed unconstitutional provisions and for being lopsided in favor of the MILF.

But the government and the MILF have both expressed hope that the BBL would be passed before Aquino's final address in a joint session of Congress in July. Aquino's six-year team as president ends in June next year.

Despite some apprehensions, congressional leaders have assured the President that the BBL will be passed by June before the adjournment of the second regular session of the 16th Congress. Endi