Aquino to Bangsamoro law foes: History will judge you

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday, June 16, said that history will judge lawmakers and all those against the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro basic law (BBL), which he described as a chance to correct the mistakes of past administrations in the southern Philippines.

Aquino made the statement at what he called the “historic” ceremonial turnover of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) weapons and decommissioning of its combatants in Sultan Kudarat – further proof of the rebel group’s commitment to the peace process, as it was carried out even without assurance of the passage of the BBL.

“To those crafting the law, and to those who will vote, when the time comes, in the plebiscite on the BBL: Remember this day. We who did not do our duty by them, we who put forth the wrong solutions, we who failed to do our utmost to protest and put a stop to the abuses committed against them – are we also going to seize from them the chance to live dignified and peaceful lives?” he asked.

Aquino added, “Are we going to cling to baseless fears? Do we want to fall back on solutions that have already failed to rectify the problem, and which instead gave rise to more divisions and deepened the wounds caused by a lack of trust?” (READ: MILF dares anti-BBL sectors: Choose peace)

The President said that day will be recorded in Philippine history as an example of the MILF’s commitment to the peace process, and that history will also take note of the response of the majority of Filipinos to the MILF’s actions.

‘Repay debt to MILF’

The President stressed that things previously thought to be unimaginable in relation to the peace process are now happening, and cited the start of the decommissioning  of arms on the MILF side “even if the Bangsamoro Basic Law is still hanging, and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority has yet to happen.”

A total of 75 weapons, including 55 high-powered and 20 crew-serve ones, were deactivated to mark the beginning of the process, and 145 rebels out of the estimated 10,000 armed members of MILF’s armed wing, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, now prepare to return to mainstream life.

He said the MILF took the step even when as the group still faced the threat of private armed groups.

“Thus, I call on everyone: let us repay the trust they have shown us. Let us strive to reach the point in which we can say: We truly gave them every opportunity to change their lives and to reach their dreams,” Aquino said.

He added: “But I must also say: If you are planning to make it difficult to pass the law, it is as if you have willfully deprived them of what should be theirs – ensuring that they have no opportunity to uplift themselves; guaranteeing that they will never lay down their arms and leave conflict and struggle behind. That is the equivalent of opposing the BBL.”

Aquino said it saddens him that some lawmakers are apparently bent on killing the measure, rather than on improving it so that it can address public grievances against the measure.

“Instead of asking: “How can I improve the BBL so that it may effectively address the grievances of our countrymen,” it appears they ask, ‘How can I stop or block the passage of this bill?’” he said.

He said the country has a “debt” to the MILF that must be paid, accumulated over 4 decades of armed conflict spawned by wrong government policies.

“Today, we are given a new opportunity to right the wrongs, and I ask: Will we walk away now?…We have a debt to our brothers and sisters in the Bangsamoro. Now, we have the chance to right the narrative of suffering together. This is our time. This is what our fallen countrymen fought for,” he said.

Aquino’s Maguindanao’s visit is his first after the botched police operation in Mamasapano town that killed 67 Filipinos and almost derailed the ongoing peace process. – Rappler.com