BBL regarded as sign of bright future in Mindanao – Gatchalian

Amajority of the potential constituents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region is supportive of the proposed Bangsamoro basic law (BBL), Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Sunday.

Gatchalian said that after listening to the opinions voiced by stakeholders during the Senate’s public consultations on the BBL recently in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga City, it is apparent that the people of Muslim Mindanao seem supportive of the creation of a Bangsamoro region that would exercise autonomous powers.

“The BBL has quickly become a symbol of peace in the region, especially among the youth – a rallying point for genuine change, a sign of a brighter future for this war-torn and impoverished land,” said Gatchalian.

Gatchalian is vice chair of the Senate committee on local government, and was among the senators who participated in public consultations held by the local government committee.

Senators Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, chairman of the local government committee, and Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, is the BBL sub-committee chair.

Gatchalian, however, said there is still a lot of work left to do before the Senate could approve the bill despite a strong public support for the BBL in Muslim Mindanao.

“We are still in the process of really dissecting the contentious provisions of the measure,” the senator said.

“Our task now is to refine the wording of the law to avoid misinterpretations and controversies that might arise once the bill is passed into law,” he said.

He also said it was imperative that stronger safeguards against corruption be incorporated into the final draft of the law.

Gatchalian said he remained optimistic that the Senate would be able to pass a BBL version which is constitutionally sound and responsive to the needs of the Bangsamoro people.

“These public consultations have inspired me to contribute as much as I can to the crafting of the BBL. The clamor for the passage of this law was so loud in most areas we went to, it was almost deafening,” he said.

“Our Moro brothers and sisters, especially the youth, have such high expectations for the BBL. We shouldn’t let them down,” he said.