LIES AND HYPOCRISY

by Emil Jurado

WHEN the late unlamented Bangsamoro Basic Law was at the congressional intensive care unit, suffering from lack of support of both the House of Representatives and the Senate despite the fact that BS Aquino III was supposed to have the House under his thumb, there was a warning from both government peace adviser Teresita Deles and peace negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer that this would result in extremism in Mindanao.

Deles and Ferrer were actually echoing the threat of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels that there would be no peace in Mindanao if the BBL did not get enacted into law.

Now, there’s an ongoing battle between the Armed Forces of the Philippines between the extremists and breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, joined by disgruntled MILF rebels. Scores are dead and injured on both sides. Thousands of innocent civilians have been displaced and evacuated.

But whose fault is it that Central Mindanao has again become a flash point? Is it because of the failure of Congress to enact the BBL or something else? I believe it’s the latter. That “something else” is the fact that the BIFF and disgruntled MILF rebels have become either sympathizers or affiliates of ISIS.

BS Aquino III cannot blame anybody else but himself and his cohorts for the failure of the BBL to get enacted. They tried to ram through a constitutionally flawed piece of legislation that would dismember the country by creating a sub-state and giving the Moro rebels more than they deserve.

Santa Banana, I cannot divine what love potion the Moro rebels made Aquino, Deles and Ferrer drink. They are so much in love with MILF negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, believing everything he promises.

BS Aquino III, who always blames others for his own mistakes, pointed to vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos and Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile for the failure of the BBL to get enacted into law. Aquino claimed it was Bongbong, as Senate committee chairman of local government, and Enrile, who did not want the BBL to get enacted by the Senate since it was a local law that must first be passed by the House, who were to blame.

Why can’t BS Aquino III look at the mirror for a change? I wanted to laugh. While the President lambasted Bongbong and Enrile, he forgot that House Speaker Sonny Belmonte was right behind him.

This can only show the hypocrisy of BS Aquino III. Just as he had blood on his hands for the slaughter of the 44 police commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, he now also has blood on his hands for the death of soldiers in Lanao del Sur.