The Moro are understandably stressed out with the idea that BBL will again encounter problems and be once more indefinitely put on hold. There is good news and bad news to this issue. The good news is that the bad news is also good news!
The fear that the BBL will not pass is actually quite justified. I do not think that Congress will be able to tackle such a complicated matter without mangling it beyond recognition, and definitely with much acrimony, if ever. How can this be good?
Well, what people haven't seemed to realize is that the BBL is actually a pretty much well thought out definition of how the different Federal States should be formed. It defines how the area of each state will be determined by the people themselves, sets the powers and limitations of the State and national gov't and many other necessary details. Considering the tough negotiations and thorough study, it seems to generally be as fair a document that could be worked out with only minor revision. After all, what is fair for the Moro should be fair for everyone else, right?
The best thing actually about the whole idea of asking the Moro to simply be patient enough to just support Federalism is that the contentious pro-Islam provisions such as Shariah law, etc. which would cause the biggest objections do not have to be approved and adopted by a Catholic majority Congress but rather simply slowly integrated into State law in due time as may be passed by the State legislature. This will avoid much contentious, divisive and angry debate over the matter as well as eliminate much confusion during the early days of founding the State when focus must be given to firmly establishing everything in an orderly manner. Shariah law has waited long enough anyway so there would probably be no harm in waiting just a bit longer considering that the future decisions would now rest in the hands of the Moro rather than anyone else. It would be up to them to work out a fair deal rather than to have one imposed on them.
And, since everyone will more or less be doing the same thing, subject to the same conditions, there would be no room for suspicion that one party was putting one over the other. So we would all be citizens of one country agreeing to a common way of doing the basic things while being free to address the particular or peculiar needs of each State.
That certainly sounds far more acceptable and reasonable to me than it does crafting a BBL that would set apart a certain region from the rest.
The best news is really that rather than appearing as a burden and strange, troubling puzzle to the rest of the country, the BBL can actually now be seen as an idea benefiting everyone whose time has come that has actually been well worth the effort put into it.
Hopefully, this can be appreciated by all parties concerned and help to speed up the formulation of the Federal system to be adopted as well as generate even more support, particularly from the Moro people.
