The Philippines: Is the Peace Process in Muslim Mindanao Collapsing?

Peace has long eluded the predominantly Muslim areas of the southern Philippines, and the government's efforts to stabilize the region took another hit last week. With an eye on the elections in May, the 16th Congress of the Philippines adjourned without approving the Bangsamoro Basic Law, a core aspect of a comprehensive peace agreement signed in 2014 with the strongest remaining insurgent group and the one most capable of governing the region, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Whether the next government will revive the legislation when it takes power in July is unclear. So does the collapse in momentum herald a surge in violence?...