WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – For the first time ever, a Filipina has won the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women in Peace and Security in the person of Miriam Coronel Ferrer.

Ferrer is the goverment negotiator for the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the Philippines.

The award was presented by  Clinton and Georgetown University President John DeGioia at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. on April 22.

The day after she received the award, Ferrer was charged with treason before the Office of the Ombudsman in Manila for conspiring in the approval of the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which complainants described as ‘unconstitutional.’

Also included in the criminal complaints were President NoyNoy Aquino, Senate President Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, BBL government peace panel negotiator Teresita Deles as well  MILF representatives Murad Ebrahim, Mohagher Iqbal and Ghazali Jaafar.

In filing the complaint, former Assemblyman and Immigration Commissioner Homobono Adaza and government-critic Herman Tiu Laurel cited the respondents as co-conspirators in promoting the approval of the of the BBL, granting the MILF more power and territory beyond the limits set by the Constitution. They said the BBL violates at least 11 provisions of the Constitution on religion, equal protection rights and promoting social justice.
Among others, they said the accord would redefine Article 1 of the Constitution granting part of the national territory to the Bangsamoro and powers of sovereignty which are indivisible.

Upon learning of the charges, Clinton, who recently declared her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, revised  Ferrer’s award to ‘Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women in Treason.’