THE COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT
ON THE BANGSAMORO
Abhoud Syed M. Lingga
In Pursuit of Reconciled Diversity:
A CEEAP National Convocation
22 May 2014, St. Paul University Manila
23 May 2014, Cebu City
Introduction
• On 27 March 2014 the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government
of the Philippines (GPH) signed the
Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro (CAB) after 17 years of
negotiations
• The CAB is the consolidation and affirmation
of all GPH-MILF signed agreements from
1997 to the present
Compromise solution
• The CAB is a compromise solution to the
armed conflict
• The armed conflict is sovereignty-based
– Assertions of the Bangsamoro to exercise their
right to self-determination
– Assertions of the GPH for its sovereignty and
territorial integrity
Costs of the armed conflict
• More than 50,000 deaths
• More than a million displaced people
• Government spent P76 billion from 1970-1996
• In year 2000 all-out war against the MILF,
Government spent no less than P6 billion
• Economic output lost directly –
$2 billion to $3 billion from 1970-2001
(about P5 billion to P7.5 billion annually)
Compromise solution
• Recognition of Bangsamoro identity; they
are still Filipino citizens
• Acknowledgement of the Bangsamoro
territory; that territory still part of the
Philippine territory
• Exercise of self-governance; Bangsamoro
Government still part of the Philippine
Government
New relationship
• Relationship between the Central
Government and Bangsamoro Government
shall be asymmetric
• Recognition and respect of basic rights,
vested property rights, indigenous people’s
rights
Bangsamoro Government
• Bangsamoro Government shall be
established to replace the ARMM
• Govern by basic law
• Ministerial in form
• It shall have democratically-elected assembly
• Intergovernmental relations (IGR) mechanism
Powers of government
• Delineation of powers
– Reserved powers of the Central Government
– Concurrent powers - shared powers between the
Central Government and the Bangsamoro
Government
– Exclusive powers of the Bangsamoro
Government
New economic arrangement
• Taxing powers of the Bangsamoro
– All taxing powers already devolved to the ARMM
– Capital gains tax, documentary stamp tax, donor’s tax and
estate tax
• Share of the Bangsamoro Government from Central
Government taxes, fees and charges collected in the
Bangsamoro is 75%
• Bangsamoro shares from government income from
exploration, development and utiliztion of natural
resources
– Non-metallic minerals – 100%
– Metallic minerals – 75%
– Fossil fuels and uranium – 50%
Normalization
• Normalization is a process whereby
communities can achieve their desired
quality of life
• Aims to ensure human security in the
Bangsamoro
• Helps build a society that is committed to
basic human rights and where long-held
traditions and values continue to be honored
Normalization
• Police force for the Bangsamoro shall be in-
charge of law enforcement and maintenance of
peace and order
• Graduated decommissioning of MILF forces and
weapons
• Redeployment of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines
• Disbanding of the private armed groups
• Socio-economic development program for
combatants and poor Bangsamoro communities
• Transitional justice and reconciliation
Roadmap for the Future
• The CAB is a new roadmap for the future of
the Bangsamoro
• The new challenge is its successful
implementation which requires system
change and building of new institutions
Implementation of the CAB
• Successful implementation of the CAB
– Opens opportunity for peace
– Provides people in conflict-affected communities
opportunity to pursue their economic endeavors
– Better chances for development works and
attract investments
– Healing of wounds
First Step
• Bangsamoro Basic Law
– Drafting by the Bangsamoro Transition
Commission
– Submission to the Office of the President
– Legislative action by Congress
– Plebiscite
Second step
• Establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition
Authority
Third Step
• Election in 2016
• Organization of the Bangsamoro Government
THANK YOU
