THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have affirmed support for the passage of the Bangsamoro basic law (BBL).
Expressing the apprehensions of people from Mindanao, the passage of the BBL will be delayed or scrapped off in the wake of the January 25 Mamasapano incident, House Deputy Speaker and Lanao del Sur Second District Rep. Pangalian Balindong asked top police and military officials if they support the passage of the BBL as a way forward in achieving peace.
To this, both PNP Officer in Charge Deputy Director Leonardo Espina and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang responded “Yes” and affirmed their support to the passage of the BBL. Espina and Catapang expressed their support for the passage of the law during the first public hearing on the incident that claimed lives of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) policemen, armed rebels and civilians.
Balindong, a Muslim, appealed the “peace process should continue so our [referring to the people of Mindanao] hearts may be at ease.” He urged the conduct of an “uninterrupted review of the BBL” parallel to the congressional probe on the Mamasapano incident.
Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles said the passage of the BBL is really in the hands of Congress and expressed her respect to the power of the body to legislate a law that will address the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people. The passage and ratification of the BBL shall establish a Bangsamoro government that will exercise genuine autonomy, and replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The BBL is the enabling law of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liebration Front (MILF) on March 27, 2014. The CAB also provides a normalization process that includes decommissioning of the MILF weapons and forces, simultaneous to the establishment of the Bangsamoro.