What would Jesus say about the BBL?

TAKING AN active part—so active he even agreed to serve as moderator in an “exchange of views” between Mindanao- and Manila-based media and Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chair Murad Ebrahim—in the recent conference on media coverage of the Mindanao peace process was Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, Archbishop of Cotabato.

All too often, when a personage such as the cardinal, or government official or business bigwig shows up at a conference or symposium, the participants are rewarded with the VIP’s presence and perhaps a speech, but little else. Soon after he or she is done speaking, the personage exits the venue, to demonstrate, perhaps, the many demands on his/her time.

And we really don’t mind. There is a presumption, after all, that public figures have many responsibilities, while ordinary conference-goers have time to kill. But what do we make of a cardinal who so believes in pursuing peace in Mindanao that he remains in the hall where people are talking about the many issues that have cropped up along the thorny path to the creation of the Bangsamoro?
And what do we make of a prelate whose sense of humor is such that, after Murad says his plans for the future lie in the hands of the MILF central council, he counters with the quip that “in my case, my retirement plans are all in the hands of the Pope”?

One conclusion I have arrived at is that Cardinal Quevedo is a breath of fresh air in the stultified atmosphere of the Church hierarchy. And that he is a distinct gift to the peace process being pursued in the still-troubled environment of Mindanao, making me wonder if Pope Francis did not have an
“ulterior” motive in choosing him to be a prince of the Church, a representative of Mindanao in the highest levels of Church decision-making.Call me a fan.

* * *
ADDRESSING the Media Peace Summit last month, Cardinal Quevedo noted the vital role that the media play in informing and educating the public about the peace process. Unfortunately, this is a role largely neglected by the media, or else exploited in favor of sensationalism or pandering to what practitioners deem is  “popular” opinion.

In his talk, the cardinal traced the majority of opinions against the peace process, or more specifically the Bangsamoro Basic Law, to deep-seated biases and attitudes, and not necessarily to considered study and analysis of the situation.

He cited the findings of a recent Social Weather Stations poll on the BBL in which 47 percent of those surveyed said they knew only a little of the BBL while 34 percent said they knew almost nothing of it. Those who knew little or nothing about the BBL—a total of
81 percent—despite their admission of ignorance, still said they “disapproved” of the bill.

“One would naturally wonder why anyone with little or no knowledge of the BBL would disapprove of it,” said Cardinal Quevedo. He offered an explanation, citing a conversation he had with a Catholic religious leader.

* * *

AS he reported in his talk, the cardinal said he asked the religious leader: “Do you support the BBL?” The reply: “No I don’t support the BBL.” Again he asked: “Have you read the BBL?” “No.” “So why don’t you agree with what you have not read?” The reply: “Ah, basta, I don’t agree.”

“I have an educated guess that our people in the parishes who know little about the BBL get their information from the media,” said Cardinal Quevedo. “Unfortunately in the wake of Mamasapano, media dished out one-sided and misleading as well as incorrect information about the BBL.”

Cardinal Quevedo then offered this “sequel” to the conversation he had with the religious leader:

“You know, Cardinal, that none of us is a member of your peace group, the Friends of Peace.” “Yes, of course, I know. In fact I did not give you any invitation. By the way, I, too have certain
biases and prejudices about people and individuals. But I have learned not to let such sentiments influence my judgments. So, are you against the BBL because you are biased and prejudiced?”

To his credit, said Cardinal Quevedo, his friend said: “To be honest, Cardinal, yes.”

This is the cardinal’s reflection: “Well, to those in the same situation, I can only ask, and I also ask this of myself, what would Jesus say about your biases and prejudices? Would Jesus approve?”

* * *

THE Cotabato prelate offered some questions that media folk would do well to ask themselves when reporting on Mindanao, the Bangsamoro, and on moving “beyond Mamasapano.”

“In my media work regarding Mamasapano, did I share in the biases and prejudices of the public majority?”

“Did I help build a climate of mistrust and perhaps of revenge?”
“Or fan the flame of anti-Moro prejudice, by improperly emphasizing SAF (Special Action Force) casualties while ignoring MILF and civilian casualties and the grief of their own widows and children?”
“Have I read and understood the BBL in such a way that my reportage could correct misinformation about the BBL and misinterpretation of it?”

“How can I do my media work with fairness and objectivity so as to follow my vocation to be an authentic prophet of justice, peace, truth and love?”

According to Cardinal Quevedo, all that’s demanded of media people is to “tell the truth, [and] do it justly and charitably.”
We don’t have to be saints. All we have to do is to do our job well, since truth-telling (and truth-seeking) lies at the core and heart of our calling.