From history’s lens

CHEERS TO the Philippine Daily Inquirer for providing the historical context to help readers understand the Bangsamoro political entity issue, in light of the discussions on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

In its Feb. 22 “Talk of the Town” special, Julkipli Wadi provided a much-needed historical perspective from which to assess the BBL, and whether it would result in peace and stability in the South. (“Bangsamoro substate: Antecedents, restructuring, possibilities”)

Wadi, dean of the University of the Philippines Institute of Islamic Studies, wrote the commentary based on a paper he presented at the Senate joint committee hearing on the proposed BBL last Feb. 2.

The main source of instability, according to him, is linked to a “century of unresolved contestation over the political status of Mindanao and Sulu.”

“Moreover, the colonial mixture of Philippine political system that failed to address the ‘power vacuum’ in Mindanao and Sulu reinforces intergovernmental instability.”

The substate formula allowing the Bangsamoro to have a subgovernment should provide for a strong legislature from a strong executive, Wadi argued.

“Given the political and cultural distinction of Moro society honed by a separate history different from Philippine history, the autonomous, integrative and strong-executive approach of power relation is inappropriate as it continuously creates political disjuncture in national-location relation between the two communities (Filipinos and Moros),” he wrote.

If the national government continues to apply a unitary, strong-executive approach to the substate formula, it would merely perpetuate the patron-client relationship in Moro areas. The ideal of autonomy and decentralization would lose its primary meaning.

“What (would happen) on the ground (would be) the persistence of a pseudo-democratic sub-polity with institutions and processes undermined by patronage politics, warlordism and so on,” Wadi wrote.

“The (rationale) for having a strong legislature is for real autonomy to fully operate at the regional or local level with strong asymmetric historical relation and cultural tradition,” he added.

Wadi recognized that there may be some constitutional questions regarding this move for constitutional lawyers to discuss, but he emphasized that his main interest was to analyze the need for power dispersal and the effects of the strong-executive approach. He also noted that there some flexibility could be applied in behalf of a better political strategy in Moro areas.

By applying these adjustments, “the fundamental basis, form and structure of national power are fully utilized not simply as a source of empowering the Bangsamoro with the optimum potential of autonomy called substate but as a guarantee in making them glued to the republic and thus ensuring that Philippine territorial integrity remains intact,” Wadi wrote.