Duterte to certify as urgent passage of proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

July 17, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will certify as urgent the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which was submitted to him on Monday by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-led Bangsamoro Transition Commission. "Yes, certify and I have requested both the Senate President and the Speaker to consider it immediately," Duterte told reporters when asked if he would certify as urgent the passage of the proposed BBL after the ceremonial turnover of the document. Duterte assured that his administration would work hard to make sure that the proposed BBL would be passed. "I say to you, my brother Moros, that I commit to support - in front of everybody - my covenant with you that I will support and husband this instrument as it goes in the legislator for its consideration," he said in a speech. Duterte said the passage of the bill might take time, but "I will also try to hurry up so we’ll have something to show to the people at least before the year ends." He said the draft bill, jointly written by the Muslim, Christian and Lumad people, would give rise to a "genuine autonomous region" as well as bring forth healing and reconciliation to the historical injustices committed against the Bangsamoro people. "There will be no objections of the provisions of all that is consistent with the Constitution and the aspiration of the Moro people. I am for this --- within the context of the Republic of the Philippines, there shall be a Bangsamoro country," Duterte said. In a separate speech, MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said the Bangsamoro people are consigning their hope and dream to the President. "We put our trust in the process of the government," he said He stressed the need to address the "legitimate grievances" of the Bangsamoro people amid the violent extremism in Marawi City. "These misguided people have felt the vacuum created by our failure to enact the Basic Law and feed into the frustration of our people. Even as we speak, fighting and destruction in Marawi continue," he said. According to Ghazali Jaafar, chair of the 21-man BTC, said it took about three months and 10 days to prepare the draft BBL, which is in accordance with the spirit of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and the MILF and the Tripoli agreement and the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the government and the then secessionist Moro National Liberation Front. The MNLF under the faction of Yusoph Jikiri and Muslimin Sema participated in the drafting of the new BBL. The faction of MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari did not join in preparing the new document. The government has been dealing with Misuari's group separately. (Celerina Monte/DMS)