THE Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism will be conducting a series of four four-day investigative reporting seminars in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Metro Manila from May-September 2015.
The first leg will be for participants from the Visayas.
Interested? Want to join or send your reporters? Read more below.
You can download the application form below.
Microsoft has announced that the preview of their new Office 2016 for Mac is now officially available.
The Office 2016 for Mac Preview comes with updated versions of your favorite Office applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook. It has full retina display support, full screen view, iCloud syncing, new themes and styles, and can be used alongside Office for Mac 2011.
Office 2016 for Mac Preview is supported on machines running Yosemite (10.10) and is available as a free download until its official launch.
The Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac Preview is 2.5GB in size and can be downloaded here.
For more information hit the source link below.
source: Office
The post Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac Preview now available appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.
By Che de los Reyes
TWELVE SENATORS are bowing out of office in May 2016.
Six of them are ending their second terms and may not run for re-election in the next balloting. They may, of course, run again after a six-year rest from the Senate race, or make a bid for other elective positions.
Six others are running for re-election, including three from the administration Liberal Party, and three others from other political parties.
Before the Mamasapano incident of Jan. 25, 2015, there was the proposed Bangsamo Basic Law on which most of them said a mouthful, in largely joyous, celebratory tone.
Has the Mamasapano incident caused them a change of heart and mind on the BBL? Why and how so? Who has affirmed, revised, reversed, or retracted their views on the BBL?
Read on:
The six outgoing senators who may run for re-election in May 2016:
* Drilon, Franklin, Liberal Party, Senate president
Co-author of proposed Bangsmoro Basic law (SB 2408)
Drilon said that the Mamasapano clash “should not stand in the way of efforts to bring lasting and genuine peace and development in Mindanao.”
It was Drilon who recommended inviting the members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission (ConCom) to the hearings on the BBL to weigh in on its constitutionality.
After the Mamasapano incident, Drilon said the Senate might pass the bill in June instead of the original March target due to “time constraints.”
He also said that the Senate will make sure that the BBL that will be passed will be constitutional by examining and modifying provisions that are inconsistent with the Constitution.
• Recto, Ralph, Liberal Party
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408)
In March 2014, Recto called on the executive branch to increase the preliminary P20.4-billion budget for ARMM in 2015, its last year before being replaced by the Bangsamoro autonomous regional government should the BBL be passed.
He said that a bigger ARMM budget would benefit the Bangsamoro as the latter’s allocation, once it is in place, may in no case be less than the last appropriation received by the ARMM.
A Feb. 23, 2015 press release by the Senate Press Relations and Information Office reported Recto as saying that there are “many shades of gray” in the BBL. This is why the Senate is proposing revisions to “mend the bill” so that “its chances of being approved by the people in the plebiscite to be called for its ratification” will be improved, Recto said.
“First thing they should do is to drop the ‘we-are-infallible’ stance,” he added.
Among the provisions that Recto said he finds contentious are:
- The 60-member Bangsamoro parliament, which he said can be trimmed down to 40.
- The powers of the Bangsamoro Police, whose authority, he said, “should be sharply defined.”
- The creation of the Philippine Congress-Bangsamoro Parliament Forum. He questions the need for a “superbody” to harmonize legislation affecting the region.
- The “affirmative action and appointment quota provisions,” which mandates a representative from Bangsamoro to sit as justice in the Supreme Court.
- The “financing the peace” provision, which makes the BBL “basically an appropriations bill.” He questions the automatic appropriation of the “block grant,” adding that the obligations bind “the national government, and ultimately taxpayers, to allocate large sums of money every year.”
• Guingona, Teofisto “TG” III, Liberal Party
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408)
Chairs the Senate Committee on Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation, one of two secondary committees under which the bill is filed.
On Jan. 28,2015, three days after the Mamasapano incident, Guingona filed Senate Resolution No. 1136, which seeks an investigation into the incident “in order to avoid distractions from the peace process and prevent the indiscriminate and wholesale condemnation of the people of Mindanao for the actions of a few violent persons.”
He said he was not withdrawing support for the BBL and said he hoped that the incident would not delay the passage of said law.
• Osmena, Sergio III, Independent
Not a co-author of the BBL.
No substantive statement on BBL yielded by search as of March 5, 2015
• Sotto, Vicente Tito III, Nationalist People’s Coalition
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408). No substantive statement on BBL yielded by search as of March 5, 2015.
• Marcos, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Jr., Nacionalista Party
Chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government, the principal committee where SB 2408 is filed.
Following the Mamasapano clash, Marcos suspended “indefinitely” the hearings on the bill that were scheduled in Zamboanga and Jolo in the last week of January. Marcos was quoted in a Jan. 26 report by Rappler as saying, “We cannot in conscience, proceed with these hearings while a cloud of serious doubt hangs over the security situation in the south. A peace agreement cannot be legislated under the threat of such extreme violence. Violence has no room in a civilized society.”
In a Feb. 19, 2015 press release by the Senate Press Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB), Marcos explained that the suspension of the hearings on BBL under the Committee on Local Government, which he chairs, was “until we find out the truth behind the Mamasapano massacre.”He said that Congress is not just a “rubber stamp” for the BBL and that making changes and introducing amendments to the BBL is “the best way to make a more robust and effective law.” He added, “we will strive to pass the best BBL possible so that we would achieve a true and lasting peace in Muslim Mindanao.”
In a Feb. 20, 2015 press release by PRIB, Marcos explained that the hearings on the BBL were suspended because both the Lower House and the Senate will not be able to discuss the proposal thoroughly without looking carefully into what happened in Mamasapano.
He also said that the President needs to tell the investigating panel exactly what his role was in Oplan Exodus, and if his explanation is “credible,” the panel “can conclude our investigation” and that will “enable us to make the necessary corrections in the BBL,” he added.
The six outgoing senators who may not run for re-election to the Senate in May 2016:
* Cayetano, Pia, Nacionalista PartyCo-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408).
Cayetano said that while she respected the peace process, things must not be brushed aside because of the government push for the approval of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),
“We’re basically saying that, ‘None of these things matter except the signing of the BBL’,” she said. “That is the message that many of us hear, that many of those in the public hear. And that is not the right message. Yes, peace should be pursued at all cost. But what will the process be?”
During the Senate inquiry on the Mamasapano clash, Cayetano said she felt disrespected by the refusal of the MILF leaders to appear before the body. She said, “This is the Republic of the Philippines, not the Republic of MILF. So the timelines are set by this committee and that is why I feel that for MILF chair Murad Ebrahim to come when they deem it convenient for them is already a disrespect for this committee.”
She also protested against the MILF’s request to appear before an executive session, and on the protracted decision of the MILF to return the slain SAF trooper’s equipment.
• Defensor-Santiago, Miriam, People’s Reform Party
Chair of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, one of two secondary committees where the BBL is filed (the other one is the Committee on Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation)
Santiago was the first senator who called the BBL “unconstitutional.” Despite this, however, she continued to conduct committee hearings on the constitutionality of the BBL, even though Sen. Marcos had suspended hearings at the Committee on Local Government, the primary committee where the bill is filed.
Santiago said that she believes discussions on the proposed law should continue despite the Mamasapano clash. A Jan. 26 report by Rappler quoted her as saying that suspending hearings would be counterproductive but warned against making the clash as an excuse to fast-track the measure.
“What was the real cause of that firefight?” she asked. “Others say it’s lack of coordination. Others surmise it was a fight over the cash reward. We don’t know what happened there. So, in fact, hearings should continue with even more vigor.”
After the Senate inquiry proceedings on the Mamasapano clash, however, Santiago said that her attitude on the BBL has “changed almost completely.”
According to a Feb. 12 report by Rappler, Santiago believes the continuous insistence of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that they did not coddle wanted terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as Marwan, and Abdulbasit Usman was a sign of bad faith on the part of the group.
The report also quoted Santiago as saying, “What is proved to me by these hearings is the lack of sincerity of the MILF in shooting down our men. Possibly with the [Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters], together, they shot down 44 Filipinos, who are all dead now. So how can you possibly deal with a negotiation partner who accepts perfidy as a mode of conduct? And I’m sure I’m not alone in taking this evolution of attitude. I’m sure many senators think the way I do.
* Enrile, Juan Ponce, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL.
Search yielded no recent statements made by Enrile on the BBL but in a 2012 interview, he said that the BBL should be given a chance and that it could be a good model for a parliamentary system in the country. He also said there is no need to amend the Constitution to create a Bangsamoro region.
• Ejercito-Estrada, Jinggoy, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL Said he wanted to attend the Senate inquiry on Mamasapano clash.
A day after the clash, Estrada filed Senate Resolution 1134 asking the committees on public order and dangerous drugs; peace, unification, and reconciliation; and local government, to investigate the matter. The senator said the incident should lead to “intensive assessment and effective reforms in law enforcement so that the death of these policemen will not be in vain.”
• Lapid, Manuel “Lito”, Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino- Christian Muslim Democrats
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL.
Search yielded no substantive statement on BBL, although Lapid filed Senate Resolution 1149, honoring the SAF’s Fallen 44.
* Revilla, Ramon Bong Jr., Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL.
Search yielded no substantive statement on BBL, although Revilla filed Senate Resolution 1148, honoring the SAF’s Fallen 44. - PCIJ, March 2015
By Che de los Reyes
TWELVE SENATORS are bowing out of office in May 2016.
Six of them are ending their second terms and may not run for re-election in the next balloting. They may, of course, run again after a six-year rest from the Senate race, or make a bid for other elective positions.
Six others are running for re-election, including three from the administration Liberal Party, and three others from other political parties.
Before the Mamasapano incident of Jan. 25, 2015, there was the proposed Bangsamo Basic Law on which most of them said a mouthful, in largely joyous, celebratory tone.
Has the Mamasapano incident caused them a change of heart and mind on the BBL? Why and how so? Who has affirmed, revised, reversed, or retracted their views on the BBL?
Read on:
The six outgoing senators who may run for re-election in May 2016:
* Drilon, Franklin, Liberal Party, Senate president
Co-author of proposed Bangsmoro Basic law (SB 2408)
Drilon said that the Mamasapano clash “should not stand in the way of efforts to bring lasting and genuine peace and development in Mindanao.”
It was Drilon who recommended inviting the members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission (ConCom) to the hearings on the BBL to weigh in on its constitutionality.
After the Mamasapano incident, Drilon said the Senate might pass the bill in June instead of the original March target due to “time constraints.”
He also said that the Senate will make sure that the BBL that will be passed will be constitutional by examining and modifying provisions that are inconsistent with the Constitution.
• Recto, Ralph, Liberal Party
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408)
In March 2014, Recto called on the executive branch to increase the preliminary P20.4-billion budget for ARMM in 2015, its last year before being replaced by the Bangsamoro autonomous regional government should the BBL be passed.
He said that a bigger ARMM budget would benefit the Bangsamoro as the latter’s allocation, once it is in place, may in no case be less than the last appropriation received by the ARMM.
A Feb. 23, 2015 press release by the Senate Press Relations and Information Office reported Recto as saying that there are “many shades of gray” in the BBL. This is why the Senate is proposing revisions to “mend the bill” so that “its chances of being approved by the people in the plebiscite to be called for its ratification” will be improved, Recto said.
“First thing they should do is to drop the ‘we-are-infallible’ stance,” he added.
Among the provisions that Recto said he finds contentious are:
- The 60-member Bangsamoro parliament, which he said can be trimmed down to 40.
- The powers of the Bangsamoro Police, whose authority, he said, “should be sharply defined.”
- The creation of the Philippine Congress-Bangsamoro Parliament Forum. He questions the need for a “superbody” to harmonize legislation affecting the region.
- The “affirmative action and appointment quota provisions,” which mandates a representative from Bangsamoro to sit as justice in the Supreme Court.
- The “financing the peace” provision, which makes the BBL “basically an appropriations bill.” He questions the automatic appropriation of the “block grant,” adding that the obligations bind “the national government, and ultimately taxpayers, to allocate large sums of money every year.”
• Guingona, Teofisto “TG” III, Liberal Party
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408)
Chairs the Senate Committee on Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation, one of two secondary committees under which the bill is filed.
On Jan. 28,2015, three days after the Mamasapano incident, Guingona filed Senate Resolution No. 1136, which seeks an investigation into the incident “in order to avoid distractions from the peace process and prevent the indiscriminate and wholesale condemnation of the people of Mindanao for the actions of a few violent persons.”
He said he was not withdrawing support for the BBL and said he hoped that the incident would not delay the passage of said law.
• Osmena, Sergio III, Independent
Not a co-author of the BBL.
No substantive statement on BBL yielded by search as of March 5, 2015
• Sotto, Vicente Tito III, Nationalist People’s Coalition
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408). No substantive statement on BBL yielded by search as of March 5, 2015.
• Marcos, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Jr., Nacionalista Party
Chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government, the principal committee where SB 2408 is filed.
Following the Mamasapano clash, Marcos suspended “indefinitely” the hearings on the bill that were scheduled in Zamboanga and Jolo in the last week of January. Marcos was quoted in a Jan. 26 report by Rappler as saying, “We cannot in conscience, proceed with these hearings while a cloud of serious doubt hangs over the security situation in the south. A peace agreement cannot be legislated under the threat of such extreme violence. Violence has no room in a civilized society.”
In a Feb. 19, 2015 press release by the Senate Press Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB), Marcos explained that the suspension of the hearings on BBL under the Committee on Local Government, which he chairs, was “until we find out the truth behind the Mamasapano massacre.”He said that Congress is not just a “rubber stamp” for the BBL and that making changes and introducing amendments to the BBL is “the best way to make a more robust and effective law.” He added, “we will strive to pass the best BBL possible so that we would achieve a true and lasting peace in Muslim Mindanao.”
In a Feb. 20, 2015 press release by PRIB, Marcos explained that the hearings on the BBL were suspended because both the Lower House and the Senate will not be able to discuss the proposal thoroughly without looking carefully into what happened in Mamasapano.
He also said that the President needs to tell the investigating panel exactly what his role was in Oplan Exodus, and if his explanation is “credible,” the panel “can conclude our investigation” and that will “enable us to make the necessary corrections in the BBL,” he added.
The six outgoing senators who may not run for re-election to the Senate in May 2016:
* Cayetano, Pia, Nacionalista PartyCo-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408).
Cayetano said that while she respected the peace process, things must not be brushed aside because of the government push for the approval of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),
“We’re basically saying that, ‘None of these things matter except the signing of the BBL’,” she said. “That is the message that many of us hear, that many of those in the public hear. And that is not the right message. Yes, peace should be pursued at all cost. But what will the process be?”
During the Senate inquiry on the Mamasapano clash, Cayetano said she felt disrespected by the refusal of the MILF leaders to appear before the body. She said, “This is the Republic of the Philippines, not the Republic of MILF. So the timelines are set by this committee and that is why I feel that for MILF chair Murad Ebrahim to come when they deem it convenient for them is already a disrespect for this committee.”
She also protested against the MILF’s request to appear before an executive session, and on the protracted decision of the MILF to return the slain SAF trooper’s equipment.
• Defensor-Santiago, Miriam, People’s Reform Party
Chair of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, one of two secondary committees where the BBL is filed (the other one is the Committee on Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation)
Santiago was the first senator who called the BBL “unconstitutional.” Despite this, however, she continued to conduct committee hearings on the constitutionality of the BBL, even though Sen. Marcos had suspended hearings at the Committee on Local Government, the primary committee where the bill is filed.
Santiago said that she believes discussions on the proposed law should continue despite the Mamasapano clash. A Jan. 26 report by Rappler quoted her as saying that suspending hearings would be counterproductive but warned against making the clash as an excuse to fast-track the measure.
“What was the real cause of that firefight?” she asked. “Others say it’s lack of coordination. Others surmise it was a fight over the cash reward. We don’t know what happened there. So, in fact, hearings should continue with even more vigor.”
After the Senate inquiry proceedings on the Mamasapano clash, however, Santiago said that her attitude on the BBL has “changed almost completely.”
According to a Feb. 12 report by Rappler, Santiago believes the continuous insistence of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that they did not coddle wanted terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as Marwan, and Abdulbasit Usman was a sign of bad faith on the part of the group.
The report also quoted Santiago as saying, “What is proved to me by these hearings is the lack of sincerity of the MILF in shooting down our men. Possibly with the [Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters], together, they shot down 44 Filipinos, who are all dead now. So how can you possibly deal with a negotiation partner who accepts perfidy as a mode of conduct? And I’m sure I’m not alone in taking this evolution of attitude. I’m sure many senators think the way I do.
* Enrile, Juan Ponce, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL.
Search yielded no recent statements made by Enrile on the BBL but in a 2012 interview, he said that the BBL should be given a chance and that it could be a good model for a parliamentary system in the country. He also said there is no need to amend the Constitution to create a Bangsamoro region.
• Ejercito-Estrada, Jinggoy, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL Said he wanted to attend the Senate inquiry on Mamasapano clash.
A day after the clash, Estrada filed Senate Resolution 1134 asking the committees on public order and dangerous drugs; peace, unification, and reconciliation; and local government, to investigate the matter. The senator said the incident should lead to “intensive assessment and effective reforms in law enforcement so that the death of these policemen will not be in vain.”
• Lapid, Manuel “Lito”, Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino- Christian Muslim Democrats
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL.
Search yielded no substantive statement on BBL, although Lapid filed Senate Resolution 1149, honoring the SAF’s Fallen 44.
* Revilla, Ramon Bong Jr., Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL.
Search yielded no substantive statement on BBL, although Revilla filed Senate Resolution 1148, honoring the SAF’s Fallen 44. - PCIJ, March 2015
By Che de los Reyes
TWELVE SENATORS will remain in office until May 2019 yet.
They may and do not have to curry favors with voters in the next balloting.
Eight ran and won under the banner of Liberal Party-led Team PNoy in May 2013, including three who are members of the hitherto opposition Nacionalista Party.
Three others ran and won under the opposition United Nationalist Alliance coalition; one other ran and won as an independent candidate.
Before the Mamasapano incident of Jan. 25, 2015, there was the proposed Bangsamo Basic Law on which most of them said a mouthful, in largely joyous, celebratory tone.
Has the Mamasapano incident caused them a change of heart and mind on the BBL? Why and how so? Who has affirmed, revised, reversed, or retracted their views on the BBL?
Read on:
• Angara, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” , Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Team PNoy)
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408).
Angara sees the suspension of deliberations on the proposed BBL as positive, saying that it will give legislators in both chambers of Congress time to think about exactly what the country is entering into. In an interview with dzBB radio last Feb 15, he said, “Maganda na ring nagkaroon ng break or tigil dito sa usapin ng BBL dahil parang tren itong BBL na napakabilis. Mga 20 hearing na sa Kamara at tatlo sa Senado. Mabuti nang nagkaroon muna ng tigil sa debate dito para mapag-isipan natin kung talagang gusto nating pasukin ito.”
He said that the MILF should show their participation in trust-building and show “good faith” in the peace negotiations by proving that they are not coddling terrorists.
Angara has filed a bill seeking to include Bangsamoro studies in curriculum of Philippine education system to instill an understanding of Bangsamoro history, culture, and identity in the minds of the youth.
• Aquino, Paolo Benigno “Bam”, Liberal Party (Team PNoy)
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB 2408).
In March 2014, Aquino stressed the need for BBL to foster economic growth in Mindanao. He said, “If there is peace and security, Mindanao will become a magnet for business and investments that will provide jobs and other livelihood to our brothers and sisters in Mindanao. With the help of this agreement, the government’s quest for inclusive growth will be easier to achieve.”
In a Feb. 17, 2015 interview with the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau however, Aquino said that it would be difficult to tackle the BBL if the Mamasapano clash remains unresolved. He said that those who committed the “heinous act,” and “summary execution” needed to be brought to justice. Only then, he said, can the BBL be enhanced and amendments to the proposal introduced, so that the law will be strengthened and the apprehension of the public about BBL will be addressed.
He said he believes that the BBL needs amendments, among them the need to have a provision on “safeguarding the rights of indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro autonomous areas.”
• Binay, Maria Lourdes “Nancy”, United Nationalist Alliance
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB2408)
Upon the submission of the draft BBL to Congress in September last year, Binay issued a statement wherein she said, “As a member of the Senate, I will give utmost priority to the thorough review of its provisions to ensure that it is in accordance with the Constitution. The Bangsamoro Basic Law is an urgent measure, however, we should recognize that such an important piece of legislation requires serious scrutiny from the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Rest assured that in all our discussions, our priority will always be the welfare of the women, children and elderly trapped in strife-torn Mindanao. Likewise, we shall see to it that the rights and interests of the lumad are represented, upheld and protected.”
After the Mamasapano clash, Binay urged for the investigation of the incident. In a Feb. 22 report by People’s Journal, Binay appealed to the peace panels of the government and the MILF to not set a deadline for the passage of the BBL. She said that she hopes the MILF will accept changes to the BBL draft if there are provisions that need amendment.
• Cayetano, Alan Peter, Nacionalista Party (Team PNoy)He was among the 13 original authors of the BBL in the Senate. On Jan. 26, a day after the Mamasapano clash however, he stated in media that he is withdrawing authorship of the BBL; His letter formally withdrawing his signature as co-author of the BBL is dated January 27, 2015, according to Senate records. From being co-author, Cayetano became the biggest critic of the BBL after the Mamasapano clash. A January 26 report in GMA News Online quoted him as saying that the incident showed the alleged lack of commitment of the MILF for peace and development in Mindanao. “Para saan pa yung BBL kung ngayon pa lang na hindi pa nila kontrolado ‘yung area, ang sasabihin lang nila pag may napatay na singkuwentang pulis, ay hindi nag-coordinate? So I’m withdrawing my co-authorship of the BBL and I seriously doubt kung mabubuhay pa itong peace agreement,” he said.
“Ang masakit pa dito, ang hinahabol naman ay isang international terrorist. Hindi ba dapat na out of good faith ang MILF na ang humuli ‘dun at sila ang nag-present sa ating authorities? Meron namang P5 million na bounty on the head. Pero ang nangyari baliktad. I’m disgusted about what’s happening and I really doubt na mapapasa ito dahil sa nangyari,” he said.
In an ambush interview conducted by the Senate Press Relations and Information Bureau last Feb. 18, Cayetano conceded that “the BBL and the first part of the peace talks were idealistic,” he also said that it is but “an illusion.”
Cayetano also alluded to the MILF’s alleged links to terrorist organizations. A Feb. 21 report by the Inquirer quoted Cayetano as saying, “So wag na tayong maglokohan (let’s not kid ourselves), they continue to be in bed with jihadists and extremists.”
Cayetano pursued this line of reasoning at the final hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order on the Mamasapano incident. He said that the MILF had been coddling terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Abdul Bassit Usman, who were in hiding in MILF-controlled territory for years. He also questioned Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles’s loyalty to the government when he asked the latter who she was representing in the peace process.
* Ejercito, Joseph Victor “JV”, United Nationalist Alliance
He was among the 13 original authors of the BBL in the Senate. On Jan. 26, a day after the Mamasapano clash however, he stated in media that he is withdrawing authorship of the BBL; His letter formally withdrawing his signature as coauthor of the BBL is dated January 27, 2015, according to Senate records.
Ejercito said, “I am withdrawing my signature as a co-author of the Bangsamoro Basic Law as a result of this carnage. My heart bleeds for our policemen who were mercilessly killed.”
“Considering that such cowardly acts occurred amid finalizing efforts to attain lasting peace in Mindanao, it now led us to contemplate whether the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law would really address the long-standing problem besetting Mindanao,” he added. “What happened to the PNP-SAF troopers is not a misencounter but a massacre.”
Last Feb. 26 however, according to an inquirer.net report, Ejercito said that despite his withdrawal of authorship, he remains open to the BBL’s passage “provided that all component and provisions stipulated should adhere to the 1987 Constitution.” He also said that the Senate “can continue the effort with the next Philippine president” should BBL fail to hurdle Congress in the Aquino administration.
This is even as he said, “The peace effort and the BBL are two different subjects. There is no proof that after the passage of BBL, we would attain lasting peace in Mindanao.”
• Escudero, Francis Joseph “Chiz”, Independent (Team PNoy)
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB2408)
Following the Mamasapano clash, Escudero said that the proposed BBL “will not pass in its current form for sure today, especially under the circumstances, and probably even in the future,” because of the perception that the MILF cannot enforce the rule of law there.
• Honasan, Gregorio B. II, United Nationalist Alliance
Co-author of proposed BBL (SB2408)
Honasan highlighted the importance of transparency and proper documentation in the investigation by consolidating as starting point the project proposal, operational plan, after-incident report, and after-encounter report, including a report from the local government units.
He also warned his colleagues at the Senate against possible threats from “so-called enemies of the Republic” and “other countries, which would develop some interest in the present situation” if the situation continues to be “unmanaged.”
• Legarda, Loren B., Nationalist People’s Coalition (Team PNoy)Co-author of proposed BBL (SB2408)
He said that the MILF should give priority to clear the Bangsamoro areas of terrorist and private armed groups ahead of the passage of the BBL. “If they can’t do it now with the help of the government, how can they do it when they’re by themselves?”
• Poe, Grace L. Independent (Team PNoy)Not a co-author of the proposed BBL
In an interview with DZMM’s Ted Failon (read the transcript) last February 6, Poe reiterated the need to continue studying the BBL. The chairperson of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, which is conducting the joint inquiry into the Mamasapano clash, Poe said every provision must be studied, especially those that have to do with law enforcement.
She said that she does not agree with calls to stop the BBL because peace will benefit the entire country. But Poe stated her reservations on the current draft of the BBL, particularly those that have to do with domestic security, resource sharing between Bangsamoro and the national government, taxation, and accountability in governance. These aspects, the senator said, must be studied closely.
Poe reiterated these concerns in a Feb. 22 interview with DZBB.
* Pimentel, Aquilino “Koko” III, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (Team PNoy)
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL.
Following the Mamasapano clash, Pimentel urged Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate local government and urban planning committee, to reword the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law “to make it fall within the ambit of the Constitution, and inclusive so that other rebel groups may not have any reason to pursue their own bloody agenda.” This is even as he said that the incident “must not be used as an excuse to dump the peace talks between the government and rebels.”
• Trillanes, Antonio “Sonny” F. IV, Nacionalista Party (Team PNoy)
Not a co-author of the proposed BBL.
Trillanes called on his colleagues not to “overreact.” He also said, “We need to await the results of the investigations, both through the mechanisms of the peace agreement and the internal investigation of the PNP. Until then, let’s suspend any judgment.”
• Villar, Cynthia A., Nacionalista Party (Team PNoy)
Not a co-authot of the proposed BBL.
In March 2014, Villar said that she will support whatever the lawmakers from Mindanao will settle among themselves because they are the ones who will be most affected by the BBL,
After the Mamasapano clash, the search yielded no substantive and definitive statement made by Villar on the BBL. - PCIJ, March 2015
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