Post Page Rank

I find it inexplicable why the BJE MOA on AD is being considered at odds with our constitution, hence this TRO and oral arguments, when a member of the MILF peace panel, MOHD. MUSIB M. BUAT in his article “A new formula in resolving the Mindanao conflict—Mohd. Musib M. Buat” at the abs-cbnNEWS.com website, said:

“But subsequently in February 2008, information was received by the MILF Peace Panel through the Malaysian facilitator that the GRP had decided to have the draft MOA-AD first reviewed by a panel of legal experts to ascertain whether or not the draft agreement would meet a constitutional test if challenged before the High Court. It took the government more that 100 days to conduct the “due diligence review” of the draft MOA-AD.” 

And when the government finally came back to them, it went without saying that all is well. This means that the MOA-AD passed the so-called “review by a panel of legal experts“. If this were true, then why is the MOA-AD’s constitutionality in question now?

And to those subscribing to a “conspiracy theory” that PGMA has orchestrated all this to extend her term of office, with the “theorists” postulating that she actually has the SC’s support through her allies in the judiciary and that this was all a “moro-moro”, then why are they talking about the possibility of an impeachment due to a culpable violation of the constitution?

What was initially perceived at the onset of the crafting of the MOA-AD was just that — perception. As it happens, based on the progress on the oral arguments, the so-called “review by a panel of legal experts” that was done prior to coming to a final draft of the MOA-AD was either not exhaustive and therefore not reliable or was just done in haste — either way, it didn’t seem enough to allow the document to pass through the high court.

Now, the GRP is saying that it will no longer sign the document “in any form“. That’s a big difference from the previous statement that it will not sign the MOA “in its present form“. So yes, it is apparent. The GRP is trashing the MOA. What a waste of effort, time, ooportunity and energy. But more significantly, what a waste of hope. There goes our viable solution to the peace issue in Mindanao. A promising document that got killed by black propaganda. A promising document that got killed long before it can even deliver its promise.

Perception: We are dead serious in achieving peace in Mindanao.

Reality: Not all of us are.

And unless everybody jumps on the boat by way of an acceptable compromise, peace in Mindanao will remain an elusive dream.

Suggested Further Reading:

• The Buck Stops Here
• Eyes On The Prize
• Of BJE MOA-AD, ARMM Polls and Oil Price Updates
• Where Do We Go From Here?
• Live and Let Live: The Non-Negotiable Solution