The BBL’s sinister semantics

With a virtual gun pointed at our collective heads, its hammer pulled back, cocked, chambers loaded with deadly ordnance and a terrorist’s crooked finger itching to squeeze inside the trigger housing, such threat to accompany the double-bladed and crooked scimitar already positioned across the soft flesh of our throats, these are effectively the conditions under which we are compelled to pass the rebranded Bangsamoro Basic Law (the BBL now renamed BARL—the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Law), now pending at that other chamber of definitive ill-repute, the Senate. 

We set foot with the most graphic and easily visualized example of a deadly threat, because that is exactly what the BBL or BARL is. Taken in conjunction with recent pronouncements from both the government and the secessionists that this is the one and only final chance at peace brings to sharper focus the incredulity arrayed against imminent threats of violence as a consequence of the BBL’s non-passage.

Rabid supporters of the original BBL version crafted by a suddenly and curiously submissive and subservient government panel that many accuse of treason, as its members seem to have all too readily acceded and suspiciously conformed to terrorist demands to truncate the country, and a counter party militia of armed and avowed separatists that had simply broken away from another secessionist group—both want the original BBL in mint condition.

The rabidity of those who would protect the original version from even dotting i’s and crossing t’s was evident when they were visibly agitated by the inclusion by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of other affected constituencies in the draft BARL, as well as the renaming of the BBL and realigning the original as an autonomous region, rather than a statute that creates an independent state, as the original BBL apparently implies. The differences are critical. It is not just a question of semantics, as supporters of the original unadulterated BBL claim.

Note what blogger, identified only as “VG,” wrote to the Manila Bulletin:

“The draft BBL written and submitted by the (Aquino) administration is just a document designed to hand power to the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) under the false cover that it is about peace. With the administration submitting such a bill, filled with unconstitutional provision(s), we must let the next administration and Congress decide. This administration has shown that it is too biased toward the MILF to consider the good of the nation. The draft BBL bill is a proposal for the benefit of a few (MILF), to the harm of the many (people of the Philippines).”

The mistrust toward this government is obvious. But the feelings of betrayal are justified.

The threat of violence, increased terrorism and an escalation of the secessionist war waged and prosecuted by the MILF is not only very real, but also very imminent. This is not speculation. The mouthpieces of the armed rebel group that the Aquino administration seeks to surgically quarter the country for has clearly and unequivocally said so, thus, substantiating our worst fears and nightmares.

The proof is there. In the middle of a legitimate exercise of police powers against a foreign terrorist, our counterparty at the peace table massacred 44 brave and gallant men.

The MILF remains unindicted, and we know why. Note the verbal betrayal in our government’s description of the bloodshed. The ruling party’s standard-bearer called it a “misencounter”. The Commander in Chief has all but forgotten that the incident even took place.

Is “misencounter” a misnomer and simply a matter of semantics in the same manner that BARL is semantically different from the BBL? As we seek answers, we cannot help but note a semantic term constant in all these.

“Bangsamoro” technically means “the Moro Nation.” In unconstitutionally dismembering a nation to create two, are we not virtually cutting our own throats?