Useless BBL most Pinoys opine

Most Filipinos reject the idea of seeking peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with only one in five expressing approval of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), according to a new survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS). 

“In terms of the benefit to Filipinos of the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the national opinion was somewhat negative in March 2015, with 42 percent saying there would be some or much benefit, while 56 percent thought there would be little or no benefit,” the SWS said in its survey conducted from March 20 to 23.

Support for the approval of the BBL dropped to its lowest level rate after the Mamasapano incident in January.

“(A) generally favorable attitude towards the peace agreements prevailed until after the Jan. 25 incident in Mamasapano, and in March 2015 attitudes towards the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law were on balance negative throughout the country,” the SWS said.

“Despite the storm of controversy that followed the Jan. 25 Mamasapano encounter, and the delays in Congressional deliberations on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law that ensued, residents of the core territory of the Bangsamoro are still hopeful that Congress could pass the law. The exception to this is in Sulu, where residents are somewhat not hopeful,” the SWS said.

A special survey conducted in the core territory of the proposed Bangsamoro from Feb. 22 to March 1, 2015 found respondents who were somewhat more knowledgeable about the peace agreements and the proposed BBL.

In the Sulu archipelago knowledge was less than in mainland areas of the core territory (Maguindanao, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, six municipalities in Lanao del Norte, and 39 barangays in North Cotabato). Attitudes toward the proposed BBL were positive throughout this core territory.

Opinions in Sulu and Isabela City were the least favorable. Tawi-Tawi and the rest of the island of Basilan were more positive.

“Consistent with their negative attitude towards the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, people in the Philippines as a whole are not hopeful that the proposed new Bangsamoro government will bring peace and development to the area,” the SWS said.

People in the core territory are more hopeful, with the same geographic variation as noted in the approval of the BBL, the SWS said.

In the core territory, the notion that Filipinos would benefit was endorsed, with opinions ranging from somewhat positive to overwhelmingly positive.

Meanwhile, in the House, the chairman of the 75-man ad hoc panel scrutinizing the BBL said his committee was working double time to finish a draft of the amended law, which will be the subject of discussion and voting next week.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the ad hoc panel, admitted that they themselves have yet to figure out what the final version of the controversial measure would be. He said his committee is still consolidating the final draft that would be distributed to members of the ad hoc panel Monday morning next week before the scheduled voting in the afternoon until Wednesday.

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