31% of Filipinos okay with BBL

MAJORITY of the Filipino people were “neutral” towards the Duterte administration’s plan to create a new Bangsamoro region through the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), according to the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The SWS poll, conducted from June 7 to 30, showed that 31 percent of respondents agreed, 28 percent disagreed, and 40 percent were undecided on moves to pass the draft BBL in Congress.

The poll results yielded a net agreement score of “neutral” + 3.

The final draft of the bill now titled “Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao” was passed by the bicameral conference committee on July 18.

The measure seeks to replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that will have wider rule in the south.

The proposed law is seen by President Rodrigo Duterte as a solution to attain just and sustainable peace in Mindanao.

The reconciled version of the proposed Moro law is expected to be signed into law by the President before he delivers his third State of the Nation Address on July 23.

While the bill aims at bringing more comfortable life to the Bangsamoro people, the SWS noted that Mindanao’s net agreement on the approval of the proposed BBL was registered as just “neutral” -2.

“While the Mindanao rating may seem surprising, it must be remembered that only about 24 percent of the population of Mindanao are Muslims, who do indeed agree that the bill should be passed, and their opinion forms only part of the sample from the whole Mindanao Area,” the pollster said.

Net public support on the draft law’s passage in Metro Manila was at “moderate” + 18, Balance Luzon at “neutral” + 9, and Visayas at “poor” -16.

Muslims were very much in favor of the proposed BBL, at an “extremely strong” + 55. It was followed by the Iglesia ni Cristo’s “moderate” + 27, and “neutral” -2 by both members of the Catholic and Christian religions.

The SWS said Filipinos tend to moderately agree that passing the law will bring peace in Mindanao, at a net agreement of “moderate” + 13.

Net agreement was highest in Metro Manila (“moderate” +29), followed by Balance Luzon (“moderate” + 19), Mindanao (“neutral” + 7), and Visayas (“neutral” -4).

The SWS interviewed 1,200 adult respondents, using ± 3 percentage points for national percentages, and ± 6 percentage points each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. (Ruth Abbey Gita/ SunStar Philippines)