Palace determined to get support of most of Filipinos to BBL

Malacanang has emphasized the great importance of getting the understanding and support of most number of the Filipino people to the peace process particularly the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio ‘Sonny’ Coloma Jr. said President Benigno Aquino III and his government is determined to expand the information dissemination about the BBL through the National Peace Summit.

”We’re hoping that through massive explanation and information dissemination to the people about the important information (of the BBL), they will have basis to support that passage of the BBL,” Coloma said.

”What is important here is to get the understanding and support of the biggest number of the people to push through the peace process which we have been doing for the past 20 years already,” he added.

Coloma said the passage of the draft of the BBL through the Senate and the House of Representatives and the support of the people will play crucial role in completing with the peace process through plebiscite hopefully later this year.

The Senate is set to resume the public hearings on the proposed BBL which seeks to create the Bangsamoro political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The BBL public hearings both in the Senate and the House of Representatives have been suspended to give way to the series of inquiries into the Mamasapano encounter between the Special Action Force (SAF) and the combined forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The Mamasapano incident that claimed the lives of 44 SAF commandos has created doubts that clouded the MILF’s sincerity as partner in the peace process, prompting Malacanang to create Peace Council that will preside and organize the National Peace Summit.

The Peace Council which will be composed of leaders from different sectors of society including Catholic Church, will help the public understand the peace agreements signed a year ago between the government and the MILF.

President Aquino has named Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Howard Dee and Muslim Princess Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman as independent convenors to the council.

Coloma said the support of the different sectors specially some individuals from the Catholic Church is crucial in the passage of the BBL and to the government’s effort to achieve the lasting peace in Mindanao.

The PCOO chief particularly mentioned Cardinal Orland Quevedo of Cotabato and the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, an organization composed of all the schools universities under the leadership of the Catholic religious organization.

”Kaya’t makikita naman natin dito ‘yung pagbigay ng suporta sa prosesong pangkapayapaan mula sa sektor na tinuturing natin,” Coloma said. (PNA)