Bangsamoro Basic Law must be discussed based on
its merits, says Palace official
Lawmakers must discuss the Bangsamoro Basic Law
(BBL) based on its merits, and not on such issues as Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF) chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal’s use of aliases, the Palace said
on Friday.
"The BBL should be discussed on the basis of
the merits of the law itself, or of the draft bill itself, and not other
attendant issues that may be related but perhaps are not really at the core of
the BBL draft itself," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said
during a press briefing in Malacañang.
Opposition senators have recently warned that
Iqbal’s admission that he has been using an alias, could have adverse
implications on the peace negotiations between the MILF and the government.
Valte however denied that there was any deception
on the part of Iqbal.
“The real names of the entire MILF negotiators are
known to government, so there was no deception on their part. Yes, that’s quite
clear. There’s no deception on their part because they made their real names
known to government,” she said, adding that they possess Philippine passports
issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Valte further said that when the peace process
began in 1997, the MILF negotiators, like negotiators from such rebel groups as
the National Democratic Front, Moro National Liberation Front and Cordillera
People’s Liberation Army, were allowed the courtesy to continue using their
aliases.
They used aliases when they went underground to
ensure their personal security, she added.
Reacting to reports that the non-passage of the
BBL would result in bloody wars in Mindanao, Valte said people cannot be
stopped from voicing their fears but it is important for the government to
raise public awareness of the proposed law to achieve lasting peace in
Mindanao.
"What we are here to do is to open the
discussion on the merits of the BBL and to continue to explain the position of
government as to why we think that this is a real solution to the conflict that
is happening in Mindanao," she said.
The National Peace Council, which was announced by
the President, has also been formed and has already had its first meeting last
April 6, Valte said, noting that it is a private group that is not funded by
the government. PND (as)
