Final BBL draft turned over to Duterte today

The final draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be formally turned over to President Duterte during a ceremony in Malacañang on Monday.

The document will be presented to the President by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, which drafted the proposed BBL in the past few months.

“We are confident that the BTC that crafted the new one must have taken into account the failures of the past, learning from the past lessons,” Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza recently said.

Dureza said he will recommend to the President that he certifies the bill as urgent for its swift passage in Congress. He said the President could review the draft BBL and give his inputs or immediately transmit the document without any revision to Congress for deliberation.

The new “inclusive” BBL proposal replaces the original draft proposed by the Aquino administration that failed to pass congressional scrutiny due to alleged unconstitutional provisions.

The new measure seeks to create a new autonomous entity called Bangsamoro with larger territory and powers replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. It will be the legal instrument that will implement the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro inked by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Meantime, any proposed amendment from the camp of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chair Nur Misuari to the ARMM law will be presented separately to Congress.

“Congress cannot pass a law only for the MILF and another separate law for the MNLF. There’s only one Bangsamoro territory and nation they call it,” Dureza said.

“So Congress will have to look at both and then find out how they can harmonize, how they can converge both proposals,” he added.