Rail train BBL

Well, if this bill was railroaded in the House of Representatives then it must be a rail train going to where, only the future will tell. But like the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao train, it languished into nothing except that billions of precious currency disappeared and the Commission on Audit does not know who got the money, where it was spent on and who is accountable. Worse, there is no peace there.

We learned now is that ARMM officials went into spending spree and among the clear manifestation of luxurious living are mansions with bands of armed security force and millions in cash kept in vaults inside their houses. The Maguindanao massacre of media people is still fresh evidence of how money was spent and how Philippine laws are ignored.

Now the House has railroaded the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law, supposedly a better version of the ARMM, that will bring peace in the troubled land of Mindanao. This new proposal is like what street smart habitués call throwing good money after bad.

Prior to the discussions, we hear congressmen predicting dire consequences if this proposal is approved and that the provisions are unconstitutional. But the same congressmen sang different songs when they convened and approved the BBL.

While it is denied initially, the congressmen finally admitted that the draft they worked for in several sessions was disregarded. Instead they used the draft prepared by Malacañang and this draft – or what Malacanang wanted – was approved.

What was the point of spending millions of pesos discussing a bill when, after all, the congressmen will just adopt what Malacanang dictated? Their actuations only confirmed the truth of the suspicion that they were “bribed”. Committee chairman, Cagayan de Oro Cong. Rufus Rodriguez denied this allegation, but, as the ancient truism confirms, “actions speak louder than words.”

It may not be money as we would think. There are other ways of intimidation that congressmen surely are afraid of lest they end up like the three senators at the time when they are to run for reelection.

Indeed, are not these congressmen in the list of the third batch of solons to be charged for the unaccounted Priority Development Assistance Fund? Is not the name of Rodriguez included in the list? While we were in Cagayan de Oro last year, he was the talk of the town and people wondered why he was not included in the first batch of congressmen that the Department of Justice dragged to the Ombudsman. He was not also included in the second batch and since the DOJ has said that it is busy with other concerns, the third batch will not be acted upon.

Guess who are in the third batch? They are mostly congressmen who are allied with President Aquino, and you can bet your last dentures, they are the vocal supporters of BBL.

Need we wonder why the Malacanang version breezed through the House in a jiffy? While Rodriguez says there was no railroading, it is clear that the BBL train indeed went chuck-chuck on time as the President wanted it.

The BBL is hoisted as the legacy of the administration of President Benigno Aquino and, indeed, it will be as other historic flops. We have the Luneta hostage massacre, the Typhoon Yolanda faux pas, the Reproductive Health Law that massacres the unborn, Mamasapano Massacre, the raid of the national treasury with the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the Disbursement Acceleration Fund, the selective enforcement of the anti-graft and corrupt practices law, etc.

We recall how Aquino used public funds to insure that Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached for a crime that is rampantly committed by public officials, among which are Aquino's closest allies.

The BBL is intended to find a lasting solution to the Mindanao problem. But what is the Mindanao problem? Poverty is a major reason. We poured billions into the Muslim areas but their warlords pocketed the money and the government did not bring them to justice.

Muslims are mostly peaceful but ruled by people with a penchant for violence, the love of the gun and enforcement by the force of that gun.

For generations, the government had adopted a policy of leniency in Mindanao but while that is a good policy, it must distinguish between the peaceful, religious and law-abiding Muslims who have integrated with their Christian neighbors and living in harmony. Lasting peace can only be achieved by nurturing this relationship. The railroaded BBL will only alienate even those outside Mindanao.*

back to top