Setback in ratification of Muslim autonomy deal in Philippines

MANILA: The Philippine House of Representatives yesterday failed to ratify, as expected, an autonomy deal that many hope will peacefully settle one of Asia’s longest-raging Muslim separatist rebellions and help prevent a repeat of a disastrous Islamic State (IS)-linked siege in the south last year.

The senate unanimously ratified the bill that aims to establish the new Bangsamoro autonomous region, but house members adjourned early amid a reported leadership challenge without approving the autonomy deal. The government negotiated the pact for more than two decades with the largest Muslim rebel group in the country.

Confusion over the house leadership row erupted a few hours before President Rodrigo Duterte was to deliver his annual state of the nation address before a joint session of congress.

Duterte was expected to sign the autonomy bill into law and highlight it in his speech, an early legacy of his presidency, which has come under heavy criticism over his bloody anti-drug crackdown and human rights record.

Thousands of protesters rallied outside the house, where Duterte was to speak.

“We find it unfortunate that the Bangsamoro Organic Law was not ratified before the adjournment of today’s session,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. “We consider this as a temporary setback.”

There was no immediate reaction from the Muslim rebels over the latest hiccup to hamper the Malaysian-brokered peace deal, which seeks to replace a poverty and conflict-wracked autonomous region with a potentially larger, better-funded and more powerful region for minority Muslims in the south of the largely Roman Catholic nation.

Presidential adviser Jesus Dureza said house legislators had no issue with the autonomy bill but it got accidentally embroiled in a house leadership row, adding he expected the legislation to be fully ratified at some point.

Some house members said yesterday they would be pressing to have the bill ratified soon.

The proposed deal marks the latest significant attempt by the Philippine government to negotiate an end to nearly half-a-century of sporadic Muslim uprising that has left more than 120 000 people dead and displaced about 2 million others.

The two largest Moro rebel groups in the south have dropped a demand for a separate Muslim state in exchange for Muslim autonomy and renounced terrorism.

Western governments, however, have been worried over the presence of small numbers of IS-linked militants from the Middle East and South-East Asia seeking combat training and collaboration with Filipino insurgents.