Disarm MILF

the proposed BBL should include provisions disarming and preventing rebel groups from regrouping.

In a news conference in San Juan City on Wednesday, the Advocacy Group for National Interests (AGNI) said drafts of the BBL from the Senate and the House of Representatives did not include the disarmament of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“We want to ensure and we want to provisions in the BBL that the MILF forces will be demilitarized, demobilized and reintegrated into mainstream society, something which is not in the [drafts of the] BBL,” retired lieutenant general Edilberto Adan said.

Adan was a former spokesman of the Armed Forces and was the deputy chief of staff of the military during the Arroyo administration.

He cited peace agreements in Europe and South America that he said they had studied.

According to Adan, these agreements “always” had provisions that rebel groups opposing a government will have to be demobilized and disarmed. He said such provision should be included in the drafts of the BBL.

The group also warned the BBL will violate Section 15, Article 10 autonomous regions, namely the ARMM and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

“We have read the two versions and it has been reported that there are potential violations in the crafted versions [of the Senate and the House] so these are now being threshed out by the two Houses and our group has voiced out to make sure and to emphasize that the resultant BBL must be in compliance with our Constitution,” Adan said.

He said the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police ( PNP) must remain under the command of the President.

“[That is] following the chain of command which is provided by the law and that is what we would like to follow,” he added.

Adan’s fellow members in AGNI come from the military, the police and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

RALPH EDWIN U. VILLANUEVA, DEMPSEY

REYES AND LLANESCA PANTI WITH REPORTS FROM JEAN NICOLE STA. CLARA

AND MICHELLE JANE MISLANG (TMTC INTERNS)