Malacañang on Tuesday (April 1) assured the independence of the National Peace Council convened by President Benigno S. Aquino III to discuss the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
The National Peace Council is composed of five citizen leaders namely Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, businessman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, civil society leader Howard Dee, and peace advocate Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in an interview that this council aims to entice the public to look at the draft BBL with “fresh eyes.”
He also describes the members of the council as “chosen men and women of integrity and independence.”
“For those who fear that they are not independent, we can categorically assure you that this National Peace Summit is a conclave of men and women who genuinely seek peace and would like the peace process to push forward. How they look at the Bangsamoro Basic Law, we would leave it to their own independent observations,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda said that they did not impose anything on the members of the council on how they will decide on the fate of the BBL.
“We have not imposed anything on them but they are mindful of the importance of the peace process, as manifested by this particular bill that is before Congress now. How they will look at it, how they will decide on it, how they will deliberate or discourse upon the Bangsamoro Basic Law is entirely their own,” he said.
Meanwhile, Philippine government chief peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer stressed that Congress still has the final say regarding on the passage of the proposed law.
“They are not taking any power away from Congress. Congress pa rin ang magtatakda ng schedule nila, ng pacing nila at saka kung ano ang introduce nilang pagbabago rito sa panukalang-batas,” Ferrer said.
She also described the peace summit like a “citizen’s forum” where issues or concerns can be further discussed and clarified. And, it was a kind of articulation or even an avenue broader discussion for citizens of the Philippines.
On the other hand, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, said that he is hoping that the peace summit “would be objective and fair.”
Marcos will continue to lead the hearing on the BBL measure on April 13, in that hearing Marcos said he will also tackle the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) report regarding the carnage of the Special Action Force (SAF) commandos that occurred in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
