Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. said on Thursday that the proposed extension of Bangsamoro transition period for another three more years is reasonable to give ample time to complete the implementation of the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
Galvez told lawmakers during a House Special Committee hearing on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity that “If we want this transition to be successful, we have to give our brothers (in the Bangsamoro) ample time to lay down the foundation, and realistically we cannot achieve this in three years,” a report posted at the OPAPP website said.
The Bangsamoro Transition Authority earlier passed a resolution asking for their extension until 2025 to fully complete the transition process.
Republic Act No. 11054, the law that established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), stipulated that the Bangsamoro government shall undergo a three-year transition period which began in 2019 and end on 2022.
Galvez also said that President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier backed the proposed extension of the BARMM’s transition period during a meeting with top officials of the BARMM in Davao.
To complete the governance structure of the BARMM, the BTA should pass seven codes namely Bangsamoro Administrative Code, Bangsamoro Revenue Code, Bangsamoro Electoral Code, Bangsamoro Local Government Code, Bangsamoro Education Code, Bangsamoro Civil Service Code, and Bangsamoro law for indigenous peoples.
In a report posted at congress.gov.ph, Galvez said the drafting of crucial codes have been affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The OPAPP chief also appealed to those opposing the extension saying to give the Bangsamoro government ample time to do its task.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the drafting of the crucial codes and the implementation of the normalization process as well.