IN a conversation with Abdursakur Mahail Tan on Sunday at his house in Maimbung, Sulu, the Vice Governor expressed dissent to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which is due to be discussed and debated in Congress starting September 24. The Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, the final peace compact between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed on March 27, 2014, was used as the basis of the draft BBL.
Vice Governor Tan is an acknowledged bonafide member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), a strong secessionist political organization founded and chaired by Nur Misuari. Vice Governor Tan was officially endorsed by MNLF leaders in 2012 to President Aquino as their choice for ARMM Regional Governor in the 2013 elections. Despite running against each other in the gubernatorial elections in Sulu in 2010, Misuari and Tan continue to forge strong ties. In May 2013, a few days before the national and local elections, I was at the Sulu Provincial Capitol when Chairman Misuari visited then Governor Tan whose son Sakur Jr. (Toto) was running for governor.
I was in Maimbung, Sulu last Saturday with Lieutenant General Rustico Guerrero, Commander of the Western Mindanao Command, upon invitation by a private volunteer group which donated funds for the construction of two KLASRUM NG PAG-ASA school buildings in Maimbung and Indanan. The school buildings were built by Philippine Marine personnel using funds provided by the private volunteer group.
Initially, Vice Governor Tan lamented the lack of consultation in the drafting of the BBL as he stressed the need for the local government committees of both Houses of Congress to make the consultations as widespread as possible.
“Sabi ko kay Bongbong (Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government), ‘pag mag-kunsultasyon kayo, ‘wag naman kayong mag-kunsultasyon sa Maynila. Hindi naman nila alam kung ano kami roon (sa probinsya),” Tan said, disclosing snippets of his conversation with Senator Marcos.
Tan said Senator Marcos promised to go to Sulu and to the other provinces of the proposed Bangsamoro core territory to consult stakeholders on the draft BBL.
Vice Governor Tan stressed the need for wider consultation, as he pointed out the permanent nature of the BBL.
“Permanente ‘yan, eh. Hindi ‘yan katulad ng tumakbo kang senador o presidente, ‘Pag hindi ka kasama (sa BBL at) gusto mong pumasok, pwede kang pumasok, pero pag nakapasok ka na, hindi ka na pwedeng lumabas,” he said.
Later on during the conversation, Vice Governor Tan’s opposition to the draft law was becoming more apparent, especially since my lawyer companions were candid about their personal-cum-legal opinions about the draft law (I hope they will forgive me for exposing their views).
When one of the lawyers averred that the BBL had no basis, the other concurred, saying, “Any lawyer worth his salt will know (that the BBL has) no basis. Even a law student will know that. That is a bar question. Maybe you can answer it, Governor?”
Vice Governor Tan took to the challenge, saying, “Kami nga, hindi kami nakapag-aral ng batas. Alam namin hindi papasa, eh. Kaya lang, kung hindi pumasa, anong mangyayari? ‘Yun ang tanong ng iba. Baka magkaroon ng gulo. Pag pumasa, mas magulo ‘yan. Kasi ang tingin namin nakipagbolahan lang. Sasabihin lang nila OPAPP (led by Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Chair of the Philippine Government Peace Panel), meron ng representation dito (sa BBL) ang MNLF nandidito sila, eto, eto….’ ‘Yung nanggulo sa Zamboanga City, hindi naman sila ‘yung mga combatant. Paano masasabi na na-include sila (MNLF) diyan?”
Pointblank, I asked Vice Governor Tan if his views meant he was against the BBL.The Vice Governor smiled, and everyone within earshot laughed.
I noticed, however, the different stance taken by the the Vice Governor’s son, incumbent Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, Jr. The younger Tan was present in Malacanang when President Aquino endorsed the draft BBL to Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. on September 10, along with ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman and four other governors of ARMM constituent provinces–Governors Sahali of Tawi-Tawi, Akbar of Basilan, Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur, and Mangudadatu of Maguindanao.
The opinions of the leaders of Sulu definitely will matter in the final outcome of the BBL Sulu Province is known to be a bedrock of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The repercussions of leaving the group out of the BBL cannot be overemphasized. BEEN THERE DONE THAT/JOSEPHINE JARON CODILLA