Is Federalism the answer? WITH BBL REJECTION IMMINENT, DUTERTE SAYS PLAN B NEEDED

By Manny Piñol

Ormoc City, Leyte – With the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, a measure designed to enable the establishment of a largely autonomous “sub-state” for the Muslims of Mindanao, facing an imminent rejection in Congress, Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte called on the national government to draft a fallback plan to prevent an outbreak of violence in the Southern Philippines.

Duterte said the national anger fanned by the death of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25 and the Constitutionally questionable provisions in the proposed law, especially the establishment of an almost independent police and security force in the Bangsamoro Territory, almost certainly assures the demise of the BBL.

“As a lawyer, I have my misgivings about some of the provisions of the BBL, especially on the issue of an almost independent police and security force in the Bangsamoro area which could not be controlled later on by the national police,” he said.

“A separate armed forces and police force for the Bangsamoro area is simply unacceptable. I myself, while I support the peace process, will not agree to that,” he said.

But while the rejection of the BBL is now considered a given, Duterte said Mindanao leaders like him have not received any clear guidance yet from the national government on what steps to take should Congress or the Supreme Court thrash the proposed law.

“We have not been called (by Malacanang). We don’t know what to do,” Duterte told members of the media in Ormoc City yesterday where he continued his advocacy for Federalism in a nation-wide sortie called “Listening Tour.”

Duterte said that the threat of an outbreak of violence should the BBL is rejected is imminent but the national government has not summoned Mindanao leaders for consultation and guidance.

“It could be a question of management style but during the time of President (Fidel V.) Ramos, we city mayors were invited to regular meetings, including National Security Council briefings,” Duterte said.

Duterte said under the present administration “we have not been called.”

The colorful city mayor, who is now being eyed by many sectors as a Presidential material because of his deep understanding of the Mindanao problem, a 22-year government service not tainted by corruption and his effective campaign against drugs and criminality, has been supportive of the peace process but bewailed the lack of appreciation of the government peace negotiators of political and cultural realities in Mindanao.

He said the negotiators should have taken into consideration the cultural differences between the Muslims of Central Mindanao composed of the Maguindanao, Maranao, Iranun and Kagan tribes, and the Muslims of the islands which include the Tausugs, Yakans, Samas and Subanens.

“These two groups of Muslims have distinct cultures and each group would not want to be dominated by the other,” he said explaining that this was the reason while the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under then Chairman Hashim Salamat “peeled off” from Nur Misuari’s Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) after the 1996 Peace Agreement.

Today, Misuari’s MNLF is complaining that the new agreement between the government and the MILF effectively thrashes an earlier agreement it signed with the MNLF which was a result of the Tripoli Agreement.

Duterte said a shift from Unitary Presidential form of government to a Federal Parliamentary form which calls for the creation of at least 14 States all over the country could address the problem.

“Federalism will not only spur the development of the regions but also provide the best fall back position to the BBL,” Duterte said.

Duterte, however, said that since it would take some time and require a process before a shift to a Federal form of government is accomplished, Mindanao leaders now should be given guidance on what to do in the face of a period of uncertainty following the rejection of the BBL.

(Photo caption: Mayor Duterte with Ormoc Vice Mayor Toto Locsin and village leaders of Ormoc City. Roselyn Parillo)