Economic fears do not justify an unjust peace deal

LAST Monday, Business Monitor International (BMI) issued a study that concluded Congress’ failure to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) would be harmful to the economy, due to the increased security risks and political uncertainty that would hinder investment and development in Mindanao.

BMI acknowledged that the adjournment of Congress for the election season eliminated any chance that the BBL could even be addressed, and that there was “limited support” for the measure among the leading presidential candidates, as well as widespread public pressure to reject it. Despite the glaring lack of enthusiasm for the BBL, BMI stressed that without it, “The government’s budget will be constrained by the need to allocate resources to internal security issues and investment in infrastructure and education will suffer, diminishing the Philippines’ otherwise promising economic potential.”