BBL hearings’ suspension will only embolden terrorists

We at the Akbayan Partylist express our grave concern and alarm over the Mamasapano clash involving members of the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force and elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has claimed, by the latest count, more or less, 50 young and promising lives.

Akbayan is stunned by how the blood of young policemen and MILF fighters alike again washed this sacred land where our forefathers have offered their own to free this country from foreign abuse and domination. We are

astounded not only because of the depths of the violence, but also because of the sheer timing of the incidence, happening as it did at a time when the whole nation awaits the final outcome of the peace process, as the fundamental aspects of the agreement go through the legislative mills in Congress.

We are extremely saddened by this deplorable incident. We hope, as the nation expresses its grief and registers its indignation against this unnecessary bloodshed, that this will not warp the significance of the ongoing peace process which the international community has described as the most viable, workable and comprehensive approach to ending decades of bloodbath in Mindanao and its islands. This highly condemnable yet totally preventable incident must not serve as moorings to shoot down the peace agreement, which we consider as a vital element of the whole formula for genuine and lasting peace in the island and the whole nation.

This incident must also not be made to serve as a discordant note in the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). Thus, we express disapproval of the decision of Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to postpone the Senate hearings on the BBL. This knee-jerk reaction is anathema to peace and justice and will only strengthen the resolve of those who will use violence to prevent the passage of the BBL, which is a crucial policy measure to realize peace and development in the region. Senator Marcos must be reminded that the modern armed conflict in Mindanao was triggered by the Jabidah massacre, a handiwork of his dictator-father, Ferdinand E. Marcos. We remind him, he has a historical and moral debt to make amends for the colossal wrongs committed by his father in Mindanao.

We also urge the Aquino administration to establish the accountability of all those responsible for this incident—on the side of the PNP, for sanctioning the uncoordinated and ill-advised police operation; and on the side of the MILF, if proven correct, for the alleged disproportionate armed response and failure to prevent the entry and refuge of terrorists within its territory. Clearly, there should be people from both sides who must be made to account for their very costly operational lapses and misjudgment.

It is the stand of Akbayan that the ongoing peace process must continue side by side with the equally important purpose to render justice to the victims of this violence. The families of those who died from both sides are crying for the justice that their loved ones deserve. The whole nation expects no less.

—RISA HONTIVEROS,

chair, Akbayan Partylist,

[email protected]