Those Improbable Annexes THE latest news about the Mindanao peace process is not so encouraging. This in particular is about apparent irresolvable conflicting proposals by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and government panels on three of the four annexes that are deemed needed to operationalize the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed last October amid much jubilation and hope. Those annexes were originally expected to be completed in two months after the signing; it has been eight months past and the documents are proving to be an increasingly heavy millstone around the FAB neck. Talk about best-laid plans of mice and men! In almost near hindsight, the concept and idea of preparing those annexes purposely to guide the legalistic formulation of the “Bangsamoro Basic Law” (BBL) seems brilliant, if not absolutely necessary. But are they really? Or, if they are indeed necessary, do the two panels have to grind them exceedingly fine and then cook them into legally-binding documents, if ever they can attain such status? Hasn’t the government peace panel insisted tongue in cheek that the FAB is no more than a political document, hence implying that it is a mere map of future possibilities or options? And then, how duty-bound will the Transition Commission be to follow everything said in and by the annexes in drafting the BBL, its chief but not only mash-up tasks? Because if the commissioners are, there would be no place for sectoral or grassroot consultations to aid them in drafting the BBL – it is all there in the almighty annexes already, anyway. So, instead of languishing in a deadlock, why not subject the annexes drafts to the court of public opinion this soon, this early, in lieu of handling the people later a fait accompli in the form of a BBL? Likewise with the Congress once it is handed the BBL draft. No more room for its usual public hearing process, which it is accustomed to conduct whenever formulating or deliberating on a bill or proposed law? It will be easy for Malacanang to get one or more congressmen to adopt or sponsor the BBL, but if the bill will require taking shortcuts just to make it to its 2016 finish line, it will likely run into deadly minefields instead, just like the ill-fated MOA-AD. Government peace panel chief Miriam Coronel-Ferrer lately said the negotiators need to exercise a lot of creativity at this difficult stage of the talks in Kuala Lumpur. Creativity sounds like a good understatement; President Aquino may not only have to think and act out of the box, he has to throw out the box for a much bigger one. Mindanao’s peace mystery is too complicated to durably solve in one nice FAB stroke of the pen, with or without those improbable annexes. (Peace Advocates Zamboanga)
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:27:44 +0000
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