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Pres. Duterte calls on lawmakers to expedite BBL passage

• Oct 31, 2017
• Gandhi KInjiyo
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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte called on the members of the House of Representatives to expedite the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the legal translation of the 2014 peace deal between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that seeks to establish an autonomous political entity for the Bangsamoro people.

He made the call during the press conference at Davao City on Sunday (Oct 29) night prior to his departure for an official visit to Japan.

President Duterte also related his continued commitment to the cause of the Bangamoro people in establishing a new government attuned to their aspirations.

Duterte said, “We continue to talk and I hope that Congress would expedite its approval” and warned “If we do not act on it expeditiously, I think that we are headed for a trouble.”

He related further that he told the Moro Fronts “we will comply on our side what we have promised.”

“That is a commitment eh. Not even a promise but a commitment to the Moro people,” Duterte added.

The enactment of the BBL is the sole responsibility of the government particularly the Philippine Congress.

The BBL was first drafted by a 15 members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) during the term of President Benigno Aquino III.

Aquino’s term ended without passing the measure that is hoped to lay down the foundation for Bangsamoro autonomous government with more fiscal and political powers.

After winning the presidential election last year, Duterte reconstituted the BTC adding six more members that included the Moro National Liberation Front and the Indigenous Peoples.

The Duterte administration is embarking into two tracks to address the Bangsamoro problem, through the BBL passage that will provide an autonomous Bangsamoro political entity and shifting the form of government to federalism where a federal state for the Bangsamoro people shall be created. (Info source: PNA)

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