I can’t argue Constitution with our distinguished colleague Abe Margallo. But I have to disagree with him- not as a lawyer but as a Filipino- that the agreement between the Arroyo regime and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) creating an all-powerful Bangsamoro juridical entity (BJE) will, as if by magic wand, bring about lasting peace in southern Philippines.

With the massive protest actions being staged by the affected stakeholders- some of them even threatening to take up arms if need be- it will not be an exaggeration to say that this agreement will only fuel more conflict in the area, further bogging down efforts to stabilize Mindanao.

If there’s one thing that will come out of this agreement, it’s the further fragmentation of the Philippines, not peace.

First of all, the fact that the government, in the agreement, recognizes the “Moros” as a “distinct and dominant” people, I think, is tantamount to saying that they are not Filipinos. This, in my book, removes the fundamental moral reason for the Philippines to assimilate the Muslims into the Filipino society. And this, in turn, would give them another moral reason to secede.

Secondly, not only will the unprecedented autonomy for this BJE lay the grounds for the potential creation of Islamic laws that could discriminate against Christians living in the area, it will also result into the further isolation of our Muslim brothers and sisters from the Filipino nation, which will further sow separatism in their mindset.

If the BJE will have a free hand in the area’s educational system, how sure are we that they will not remove lessons about Jose Rizal, patriotism and even the national language from their curriculum? What can we do if the BJE begins to teach Filipino Muslim children in schools that they are not Filipinos but an oppressed people who should strive for independence or for unification with other Muslims in Southeast Asia?

How can we be sure that the BJE will use Mindanao’s natural resources to improve the living conditions of our countrymen there, instead of channeling the funds to pursue the MILF’s ultimate agenda? How can we stop this BJE from declaring independence or from joining the Federation of Malaysia in the long run?

In the end, what this agreement does is to widen the polarization between Filipino Muslims and Christians, which is bad for a nation that aims to build a united secular society where Christians, Muslims and atheists alike can co-exist in harmony.

Sure, the government has neglected Mindanao in the past, but this is not a reason for us to carve our territory and create an isolated “juridical entity” for the Muslims.

Indeed, I see no reason for us to strike a deal with the MILF- who doesn’t even represent the majority of the Filipino Muslims in Mindanao and Sulu- especially after we had already made one with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the 1990s.

I believe the creation of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) removes the moral reason for the MILF to continue its armed struggle against the Philippine government. If the group has problems with the creation of the ARMM, why can’t it air its grievances through peaceful means?

As Dean Bocobo keeps on saying, the ARMM is not succeeding simply because the MILF insurgency is not giving it a chance to succeed. Why? Because the MILF will never settle for anything less than independence. And the group sees this BJE as a mere springboard towards that end.

And if we are not vigilant, the MILF might just get its Islamic state. The earlier meetings between US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and MILF chairman Al Haj Murad, the provisions in the memorandum of agreement granting this BJE the authority to establish trade ties with foreign countries, the subsequent support of the US to the creation of the BJE, and the fact that there exist vast reserve of energy resources in the Sulu Sea and the Liguasan Marsh say a lot about the stake of the United States on this issue. This makes me wonder whether or not Washington would support an MILF declaration of independence the way it supported Kosovo’s if the creation of BJE does not push through.

We should prevent this worst case scenario from happening.

And the best way for us to do so is to get rid of the MILF. Let them take an oath of allegiance to the Philippine flag and lay down arms voluntarily. Then let’s talk about and resolve their grievances within the frameworks of our laws.

If they refuse to do so, then we should enforce our laws and use the full might of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to disarm them forcefully.

The Republic need not negotiate with these rebels from a position of weakness.

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