BBL through a clearer lens

Has everyone who’s expressing strong opinions on the draft Basic Bangsamoro Law actually read the document? Apparently not. I was saddened to learn recently from first-hand accounts that certain public figures speaking out on the draft law had privately admitted to not having done so. Something as critical to the nation’s future as the draft BBL demands a rational, dispassionate and most of all informed discussion.

A universal consensus is clearly impossible, but the ultimate outcome must reflect the aspirations of the wide majority of Filipinos, and shaped by clear understanding of the issues and careful consideration of facts. There’s no place for age-old prejudices, undue generalizations, reckless emotions and uninformed judgments in the discourse that will determine the actions of Congress and the two other branches of government on the BBL. Sadly, there appears to be too much of these flying around among all the noise we’re hearing, especially in the wake of the unfortunate Mamasapano encounter.

My own affinity for Mindanao comes from many years of studying and visiting the island group, including in my past role as the country’s chief development planner. More recently, I spent four years of focused work on it, especially in leading the formulation of the Mindanao 2020 Peace and Development Framework Plan, for the Mindanao Development Authority. Two were devoted to focusing on the economic development of Muslim Mindanao. I’m privileged to have traveled to all regions of Mindanao, talked to thousands of Mindanaons of various backgrounds and persuasions, and heard them voice their shared dream for a peaceful, developed, autonomous and integrated Mindanao by 2030.

This is why it personally pains me to see so much bigotry and irrationality in countless social media posts by ordinary Filipinos, more so when I see it in statements of former and current public officials. It’s the latter that’s particularly disappointing, as one would expect higher statesmanship and greater public responsibility from them. The core of the “Mindanao problem” has widely been acknowledged to be age-old injustice in various forms. Verbal injustice can only reinforce that, and push us even farther away from achieving lasting peace, which I’m certain is what the vast majority of us Filipinos want in Mindanao.

As for the BBL, every responsible citizen, and especially every public official, has to take a dispassionate and informed view of its provisions in the course of accepting or rejecting it. It’s sheer folly to reject it outright without even bothering to read and understand it, simply on the basis of preconceived notions, deep-set biases and, in particular, one unfortunate incident resulting from blunders by certain individuals. Nor is it right to argue for its outright passage, lock, stock and barrel, without a reasonable understanding of its implications for every Filipino, whether or not from Mindanao or the Bangsamoro itself.

A particularly sticky point has to do with the proposed budgetary allocations for the Bangsamoro region, with the number P75 billion having been widely quoted. It has been made to sound like largesse to be handed on a platter to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Some see it as being no different from a pork barrel. It’s not clear how the P75 billion figure was derived, but here’s what the draft BBL provides:

First is the annual block allocation already being provided for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (to be subsumed under the new Bangsamoro region), which is P24.3 billion in 2015 and estimated at P27 billion by 2016. Provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays therein will continue to receive their Internal Revenue Allotment, totaling P18 billion in 2015, and probably P20 billion by 2016. National government agencies will continue undertaking national programs and projects that will benefit the region along with the rest of the country. These include national roads and other infrastructure from the concerned agencies and the conditional cash transfers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, among others. The amount varies yearly for such national programs, but P15 billion would be a liberal estimate as the region’s share. Note that these will be handled by the national agencies concerned, not handed as a lump sum to the Bangsamoro government.

New items will be the Special Development Fund for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Development (P7 billion), a Normalization Fund for various agencies to support social programs for ex-combatants (P4 billion), and operational support for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (P1 billion), all totaling P12 billion. Everything else above consists of regular budget provisions, BBL or no BBL (this may not be clear enough to critics).

Will these sums go the way of the notorious pork barrel? It’s highly unlikely, with their use to be defined by the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), a professionally run organization that has for years been assisted by the World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and other donor agencies. The BDA has done the homework, including the formulation of a well-crafted Bangsamoro Development Plan. The plan counts a detailed listing of development projects for which the funds will be used. Providing such funds for the benefit of the people of the region (not the MILF!) is a natural function of the central government, which must address poverty where it’s at its worst.

There are many more such provisions that are likely not to evoke so much emotion if only seen through a clearer lens. Perhaps we all ought to do some lens wiping first.

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