By Leslie D. Venzon
MANILA, June 16 (PNA) — President Benigno S. Aquino III urged anew legislators on Tuesday to immediately pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that seeks to end four decades-old insurgency in Muslim Mindanao.
“Narito na nga po tayo, binibigyan tayo ng pagkakataong iwasto ang mali, tatalikuran pa ba natin ito? Ang masasabi ko po sa inyo: Personal kong tinututukan ang BBL,” the President said in his speech during the ceremonial turnover of weapons and decommissioning of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants.
President Aquino said the MILF has already voluntarily turned over their weapons even as they recognized that threats of violence from private armed groups remain.
The Chief Executive said this signifies the sincerity of the MILF in cooperating for the Mindanao peace initiative and readiness to abandon its insurgency where already hundreds of thousands of people were injured, killed and lost homes.
President Aquino called on legislators and those who will vote to plebiscite on the BBL to take into consideration the MILF initiative to return their several weapons.
“…Papunta na tayo sa katuparan ng ating samahan tungo sa kapayapaan; ngayon pa ba tayo magkakaroon ng pagdududa kung kaya nating tapusin ang marathon? Bigla ba tayong panghihinaan ng paniniwala, lalo pa’t abot-tanaw na ang finish line?,” he asked.
The President thus urged legislators to speed up approval of BBL to achieve peace.
“Kung di ka papanig sa kapayapaan, ilan pa ang mamamatayan ng mahal nila sa buhay? Ilang pamayanan pa ang maiipit sa putukan at kawalang seguridad? Ilan ang naghihirap na lalo pang maghihirap? Gaano pa katagal bago kumatok sa sarili mong pintuan ang kaguluhan at madamay ang sarili mong mag-anak?,” he said. (PNA)