New draft BBL “20 to 30 percent improved” from old draft, MILF says

July 18, 2017

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front-led Bangsamoro Transition Commission has submitted an "enhanced, improved and more inclusive" draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to President Rodrigo Duterte. In an interview with the Manila Shimbun in Malacanang on Monday night after the commission handed over to Duterte the revised BBL draft, Mohagher Iqbal, MILF peace implementing panel, said the new document is "20 to 30 percent" different from the first draft that the BTC submitted to the Aquino administration. "We changed about 20 to 30 percent. Enhancement, improvement, inclusivity, those are the descriptions of the new BBL," he said. Iqbal said under the new draft, they have classified the mineral resources to only two from previous three. The metallic and non-metallic (resources) are now classified into one and "all the revenues will go to Bangsamoro," he said. Previously, he said the metallic and non-metallic were separated and the third classification was the fossil fuel, gas, oil, uranium and coal. Under the third classification, Iqbal said they maintained the 50-50 sharing between the Bangsamoro and the national government. In the drafting of the new BBL, he said the 21-man BTC also accommodated requests from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Moro National Liberation Front and the government. The commission considered all the agreements signed by the then secessionist MNLF with the government, such as the Tripoli Agreement and the 1996 Final Peace Agreement, he said. The OIC facilitated then the peace talks between the MNLF and the Philippine government. From the 50 seats for the regional parliament of the Bangsamoro, the number of seats under the new BBL was increased to 80, said Iqbal, who previously headed the 15-man BTC during the previous administration. Under the "best case scenario", he said the transition period would take place from 2019 to 2022. During this period, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority would lead the envisioned Bangsamoro government for three years until a regular election of its new officials be held in 2022. Iqbal said under the new draft BBL, they did not change delineation of powers - nine for the reserved powers of the central government; 14 concurrent; and 58 exclusive rights power of the Bangsamoro. The reserved powers of the central government includes  jurisdiction over citizenship and naturalization, immigration, customs and tariff, common market and global trade, and intellectual property rights – matters which inherently impact on the Philippines’ dealings with other nations - coinage and monetary policy and postal service. The examples of the concurrent powers, which refer to powers of the central government and the Bangsamoro government, are the exercise of powers over quarantine, land registration, pollution control, penology and penitentiary, coastguard, disaster risk reduction and management, and public order and safety. On the other hand, the exclusive powers refer to those matters over which authority and jurisdiction pertain, or are effectively devolved, to the Bangsamoro Government. They cover diverse concerns ranging from education, history and culture to regulation of trade, manufacturing and public utilities, as well as management of the environment. Altogether they provide a set of responsibilities and functions, the meaningful and effective exercise of which will prove the true worth of an autonomous government. Under the new BBL draft, Iqbal said they also retained the titular or ceremonial head called "Wali." Duterte has promised to certify as urgent the passage of the bill when his office submits the new BBL draft to Congress. (Celerina Monte/DMS)