Disarmament should be part of proposed BBL, solon says

President Benigno S. Aquino III and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak witness MILF Peace Panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal, GPH Peace Panel chairperson Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and Malaysian facilitator Tengku Ghafar affix their signature to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in a ceremony at the Kalayaan grounds of the Malacañan Palace on Thursday (March 27). Also in photo are MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles. (Photo by Gil Nartea/ Robert Viñas/ Rodolfo Manabat/ Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA — Magdalo Party-list Rep. Ace Acedillo said on Tuesday he will introduce disarmament to be part of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) after the bloody Philippine National Police (PNP)-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) encounter in Mamapasano, Maguindanao, leaving nearly 50 policemen dead.

Acedillo said that disarmament is not part of the proposed BBL because the proponents claimed that they will allow the Executive department and the MILF leadership to resolve the issue to fast-track the measure.

“With what happened, at least 43 policemen killed, who are just serving arrest warrants to two most wanted international terrorists, I doubt that giving MILF more power will aggravate the situation,” Acedillo told reporters during the weekly forum Ugnayan sa Batasan.

According to Acedillo, allowing the MILF to own high- powered guns will not solve the problem but will give them more power to fight the government.

His colleague, Rep. Gary Alejano, also of Magdalo Party-list, said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), which is the government link to the MILF hierarchy, should ask the rebel group to return the firearms and gadgets stolen from fallen members of Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police.

“They (MILF) should also surrender their men responsible in the attack since they have admitted that it was their men from the 105th Base Command,” he pointed out.

Alejano claimed that if the MILF really want to pursue peace, “they must show sincerity by surrendering their men responsible together with the stolen firearms and night gaggles.”

ACT-CIS Rep. Samuel Pagdilao said his group will file a resolution asking the House leadership to make a parallel investigation and determine what really transpired.

“We need to have our own investigation in aid of legislation in order to know what laws are needed to be passed to avoid repetition of the incident,” Pagdilao said during the same forum.

He said that he is supporting the suspension of the hearing of the House Ad Hoc committee on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law until after they receive an official communication on the investigation conducted by the Board of Inquiry formed by Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II.

For his part, Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil said that he is urging the government “to declare a National Day of Mourning for our hero cops who died while in the performance of their duty.”

Acedillo, Alejano, Pagdilao and Bataoil are members of the Saturday Group of the House of Representatives.