Tag Archives: BBL

Government, Politics

THE PHILIPPINES’ BBL: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

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BBLMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Everyone in the Philippines is talking about BBL, or the Bangsamoro Basic Law.  It is a proposed law intended to establish the Bangsamoro political entity and provide for its basic government structure which will replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The proposed law is based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace agreement signed between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The administration of President Aquino is pressing hard for its approval while more and more senators are urging to amend the draft on the grounds that it is, in its present form, unconstitutional.

Public opinion against the proposed law is increasing, with many saying that the government is basically selling the nation’s sovereignty, leading up to the total separation of the entire island of Mindanao from the Philippines.

A March 2015 survey conducted by public opinion polling group Pulse Asia found that 44% of Filipinos were opposed to the law’s passage, with only 22% supporting its passage.

Well, it turns out that this whole issue of the BBL is much ado about nothing.

A quick search on Google Maps shows that BBL is but a small sub-location in the municipality of Marilao, Batangas province. Giving up even  the entire sub-location to the Muslim rebel groups would result in only a small dent in the preservation of the country’s sovereignty.

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Government, International, Military, Politics

PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT WILL VIOLATE ITS OWN ‘NO RANSOM’ POLICY

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imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles ) – Ah, the price of peace in the Philippines!

The proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region that will be created should the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) be passed is expected to receive P336.9 billion total funds over a period of five years. This includes the nearly P37 billion allocations for 2016 approved by the Committee on Appropriations and Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) projected that the Bangsamoro region is set to receive a total of P56.6 billion in 2016; P58.2 billion in 2017; P65.9 billion in 2018; P73.5 billion in 2019; and, P82.7 billion in 2020.

President NoyNoy Aquino and many legislators are aggressively campaigning for the approval of the controversial  BBL, in their desperate attempt to put an end to the decades-long Muslim insurgency and separatist movement  in southern Philippines.

The Philippine government, of course, has been steadfast in its “no ransom” policy for the kidnapping of foreigners as well as Filipino citizens.  But Aquino and the legislators seem to be willing to violate that same policy to buy back  the elusive peace in Mindanao.

Money talks. But the question is : whose money?

(We think they’re  called taxpayers.)

Government, International, Politics

FILIPINA WINS HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON AWARD FOR TREASON

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image 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.’