Duterte backs extension of BTA until 2025 but needs congressional approval – Palace

November 26, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed support to extend the transition period in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao by three more years until 2025.

In a televised press briefing in Quezon province on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, however, said Duterte advised the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to lobby Congress to pass a law extending the transition period.

"The advice of the President is there should be a law because the holding of election in BARMM is provided in the law," he said.

"So, he said he will help to amend that law but there's really a need for those in the BARMM to coordinate with the congressmen and senators," Roque added.

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. in the online hearing of House Committee on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, urged Congress to extend the Bangsamoro transition period.

He cited that the BTA's work, including the crafting of crucial codes, have been affected due to coronavirus disease pandemic.

"I appeal to the senses of those opposing the extension, with the current COVID situation, the normalization program was stalled for more than two years. If we want the transition to be successful, we need to give our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters ample time to lay the foundation," he said.

"And realistically, we cannot achieve this in three years. President Duterte also believes that three years is too short and he agrees for the possible extension of the BTA up to five to six years transition," Galvez added.

The BTA recently adopted a resolution urging the House of Representatives and the Senate to extend the Bangsamoro transition period from 2022 to 2025.

Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim has said that if an election will push in BARMM in 2022, the normalization track would be put in a sideline and not implemented.

Part of the normalization track is the decommissioning of the 40,000 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the combatant group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front led by Ebrahim and forged a comprehensive peace agreement with the Philippine government during the Aquino administration.

Ebrahim said the initially decommissioned 12,000 BIAF combatants are yet to receive P1 million each economic package the national government has promised in exchange for them returning to civilian life.

Mohagher Iqbal, former MILF chief negotiator with the government, said the extension they were asking was not for their extension as parliament members.

Iqbal said a three-year transition is too short, noting that the MILF originally pushed for a six-year transition.

He stressed the importance of passing the resolution "not as a self-serving exercise but it is for our people."

Under the agreement with the government, the transition period for the BTA is up to 2022 and by that time, the first election under the Bangsamoro government would be held.

Currently, the BTA members led by Ebrahim were appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte after the Bangsamoro Organic Law was passed in July 2018 and was ratified in January 2019. Celerina Monte/DMS