PHL gov't, MILF confident Congress will approve proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 3): PHL gov't, MILF confident Congress will approve proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Wednesday expressed confidence the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law will pass Congress as the Transition Commission (Transcom) held its first en banc meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig City.

Composed of 15 members of various ethnic backgrounds, the Transcom is tasked to draft the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law with provisions consistent with the 2012 Framework Agreement.

"Even if they’re from the government, even if they are from the MILF panel, there’s a common aspiration for peace and development in Bangsamoro," said Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda in a press briefing.

"Ang kailangan po natin dito gumawa ng Basic Law (what we need is to craft a Basic Law for the Bangsamoro). I think that’s something that is doable," he said.

"There was also an answer by (MILF) Chairman (Mohagher) Iqbal that they are confident it will be signed," he noted.

Transcom chair Mohagher Iqbal, at the start of the meeting, urged partners from the government, legislation and the international community to support the work of the all-Bangsamoro Transcom who convened for the first time to mark the beginning of its task of drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law that will pave the way towards the establishment of the new Bangsamoro entity.

"Let me call on our partners from government to work hand in hand with us in trusting an instrument that will embody the Bangsamoro ideals and aspirations and create new relations founded on the principles of parity of esteem and mutual respect," said Iqbal in his welcome remarks.

"I call on the honorable members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to help us handle the remaining stages of this arduous process," he added while also urging the international community to help the Transcom "so that the lessons we may learn here will also help others."

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita "Ging" Deles, for her part, encouraged the public to "join in prayers and hope as we wish the best best for the members of the Transition Commission whose critical work shall begin today."

"The days ahead for this Commission will be long and filled with challenges and hardships but also, we are confident, with much wisdom and courage," she said.

"As the Commission proceeds with its important task, we anticipate to see it working more and more not as a partitioned body representing the Philippine Government on one side and the MILF on the other side but as one collegial body which shall be able to craft inclusive frames and processes and draw out multiple stakeholders' perspectives and sentiments in the shaping of participatory and empowering social and political institutions in the future Bangsamoro," she added.

Government of the Philippines peace panel chair Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, meanwhile, congratulated the members of the Transcom.

"We have moved forward. We have faced many challenges. We have not been defeated. And now there are more of us to continue this process," she said.

"I tried to imagine how the Bangsamoro political entity would look like using no other than the letters GPH-MILF as guidepost," she noted.

Formal exploratory talks between the GPH and the MILF peace panels will resume on the second week of April in Kuala Lumpur to finalize three out of the four annexes.

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