Duterte sees BBL can’t hurdle “constitutional barriers”

December 20, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte expressed doubt on Tuesday the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law will pass Congress due to unconstitutional provisions.

With this, Duterte urged Congress to help him find ways to craft a law that will address historical injustice of the Bangsamoro people.

"(Al Haj) Murad (Ebrahim), in so many times, of present and past, he would want to see me on a regular basis and talk about the progress of the BBL," he said referring to the chairman of the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

"I do not think that it will hurdle constitutional --- I've been reading several times, the constitutional barriers. But if we cannot give it, kindly help me think of ways how to do it," Duterte told the lawmakers who were present in Malacanang due to the signing of the tax reform and budget laws.

Duterte said he has to address the historical injustice against the Bangsamoro.

"Because I said, the other choice is, if they’d go to war, it opens the floodgate of Mindanao to everybody else," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS