President Benigno Aquino III will “expose" himself to possible impeachment if he allows the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to create a sub-state in Mindanao, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Wednesday.
The creation of a sub-state is a clear violation of the Philippine Constitution and should be prohibited, Enrile said in an interview with reporters.
“No self-respecting President of this country will accept a dismemberment of the country during his watch or any violation of the Constitution. The President will expose himself to a possible impeachment if he will violate the Constitution," he said.
"Lahat tayo siguro, we do not want our constitution to be violated," he added.
The proposal to establish the Bangsamoro sub-state in Mindanao is part of the Comprehensive Compact Agreement recommended and submitted by the MILF to the government last year.
MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal had earlier said their chairman, Al Haj Murad, explained their sub-state proposal when they met with Aquino in Tokyo last August 4.
No Constitutional provision
“Basically, the sub-state is still under the Philippines and it has layers of power and authority reserved for the central government, which are foreign relations, national defense, currency and postal services and there is residual power for the sub-state," Iqbal said a few days after the Tokyo meeting.
Enrile, however, said that no provision in the Philippine Constitution provides for the creation of a sub-state.
"It does not exist in our Constitution. The Constitution [only mentions] the republic, provinces, cities, municipalities, barangay. That’s all. There’s no sub-state, there’s no such thing," he said.
Because of this, he said he expects talks with the MILF to “bog down."
“I never had any doubt that it will bog down. How can you negotiate something when in effect it will violate your Constitution? I don’t think any President, including President Aquino, would be willing to violate the Constitution," he said. — PE/VS
