This study aimed to determine the perceptions of the personnel of 4th Special Action Battalion deployed in Maguindanao on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law specifically in their awareness, acceptability their role in the Bangsamoro area and their contribution to the peace process. Included in the study are the problems that are usually encountered by the personnel of 4th Special Action Battalion while the process is ongoing and perceived problems once the law enacted. Included further are the measures on the problems they encountered and their suggestions on how to improve the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. It is perceived that the Bangsamoro Basic Law greatly affects their mandates as tactical unit of the PNP considering that their primary task is running after extreme terrorists hiding within the proposed Bangsamoro territory.
The respondents of this study are those personnel of the 4th Special Action Battalion who had accumulated more than 6 months tour-of-duty in Maguindanao Province. As tactical unit, they have wide experiences operating against terrorists, executing arrest warrants to high value targets and had confronted conflict of policies with the MILF.
From its 360 original members, about 300 personnel of 4th Special Action Battalion met the parameters but only 172 respondents were randomly picked out from its five line companies to answer the questionnaires. Most of the respondents were deployed more than 1 year in Maguindanao Province.
Before conducting the survey, the researcher made a courtesy call to the Director of Special Action Force to seek clearance and guidance with regards to the research. Although he approved it, he was too apprehensive about the result of the survey citing the Mamasapano incident wherein 44 SAF Troopers were brutally killed by MILF fighters. The Director warned the researcher that it might affect the result of the survey, though, eventually issued immediate directive to the 4th Special Action Battalion to cooperate with the study.
Respondents then were categorized into three to meet the requirements of a fair study: PINSP to PCINSPT, SPO to SPO4, and PO1 to PO3. Questionnaires about the Bangsamoro Basic Law were finely crafted and distributed among these groups. A pre-test was done at the Brigade Headquarters to five officers and five non-officers prior to its final distribution.
The quantitative data obtained on the survey were analyzed and evaluated using the following statistical data: percentage technique, average weighted mean through the use of the “slovin’s formula and the ANOVA single factor to determine the significant differences among the three groups of respondents.
As a result, the members of the 4th Special Action Battalion are aware of the ongoing peace talk and the Bangsamoro Basic Law as the framework, however, from their perspective its content and annexes are vague. Based on the result further, it shows that most of them do not really know what comprises the Bangsamoro territory, who are called to be Bangsamoro and the political structure of the Bangsamoro. In fairness, most of the personnel accepted the Bangsmoro Basic Law as a tool for a long lasting peace despite what happened to their peers in Brgy. Tucanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015. When the researcher interviewed some of the personnel of 4th Special Action Battalion, they said what happened in Mamasapano is just a parcel of their job as a tactical unit. To end the conflict in Mindanao and avoid another Mamasapano incident, instead, most of them fully support the Bangsamoro autonomy. However, most of the personnel perceived that numerous problems would be encountered before its final implementation if ever enacted. Respondents agreed that the BBL would create animosities between Muslim’s clan eventually resulting to chaos.
Result of the study showed that there is insufficiency in the dissemination of the provisions of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Respondents acknowledged that they did not attend any consultations or a seminar regarding their role while the BBL was conceived. In some informal talk with local in Maguindanao, likewise, some of them were reluctant in giving their views regarding the matter since they don’t know what really the BBL is.
Researcher hereby recommends more information dissemination to the personnel of 4th Special Action Battalion. He further recommends the personnel of the 4th Special Action Battalion to be immersed in a tri-community within their area of deployment to be able to impart information regarding the BBL. The researcher also recommends that the Bangsamoro Basic Law will be included in the topics during Police Information and Continuing Education (PICE).