Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) told the Mindanao CSO (Civil Society Organizations) Leaders Peace Summit at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, February 11 to fast-track consultations on the basic law so the Commission can submit the draft to Congress by March 31. He said that BTC is going to organize a special committee that will process the feedbacks and recommendations of the consultations for consideration by the 15-member Commission during the drafting of the bill.
“If there is a need for it, we will continue to engage and try to inform you about our recommendations to your recommendations,” he said.
BTC chair Mohagher Iqbal late last year announced they were targeting April 2014 for submission of the draft BBL to Congress. But in their courtesy call on President Aquino in Malacanang on January 30, Iqbal said they accepted the challenge to submit the draft sooner, on March 31.
According to Malacanang’s website, the President urged the BTC to “draw up soonest the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law so it can be ratified and implemented in time for the 2016 elections.”
During his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22 last year, the President urged Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law “before the end of 2014” so that “we will have ample time to prepare for the election of a new Bangsamoro government come 2016.”
Bangsamoro Transition Commission chair Mohagher Iqbal answers queries from members of the civil society organizations at the Mindanao CSO Leaders Peace Summit at Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City on February 11, 2014. MindaNews photo by Toto Lozano
Whether or not the BTC submits on March 31 or April, Congress will still be on recess by then. It has sessions from January 20 to March 14 and will take a break from March 15 to May 4, resume on May 5 and will go on sine die adjournment from June 14 to July 27. The President will deliver his SONA on July 28.
On October 18 last year, the BTC and the Mindanao Civil Society Organization Platform for Peace (MCSOPP) signed a memorandum of agreement on the conduct of “public engagements and consultations from the drafting of the Basic Law up to its enactment.”
Consultations are also being conducted by the government and MILF peace panels, the Bangasamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) and other groups helping in the peace process.
The BTC partnership with MCSOPP, a platform comprising at least 120 groups and networks, aims to “promote transparency, inclusiveness and active participation of the local stakeholders” to generate “massive public support and ownership” of the BBL.
The MOA provides that at least 128 consultations will be conducted at the district level in the proposed core areas of the Bangsamoro and in every municipality included in the target expanded areas, with the consultation design approved by both the BTC and the MCSOPP.
On Thursday, the MCSOPP submitted initial results from the Bawgbug Consulting Team in Sulu, Women Engaged in Action on 1325, Arumanen Manuvu Tribe, Lanao Peace Partnership, North Cotabato Consulting Team, Alliance of Progressive Labor, Mindanao Peoples Caucus/Bantay Ceasefire and SUCCEED (Sustainable Cooperation for Equitable Enterprise Development, Inc.).
The GPH and MILF peace panels signed on January 25 the Annex on Normalization and Bangsamoro Waters and Joint Cooperation. Normalization annex is the last annex to the FAB.
The GPH and MILF peace panels are finalizing the text of the CAB which will be set for signing this month of February or March.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/818-“fast-track-consultations-on-bbl”-btc-chairman-iqbal
BTC chair Mohagher Iqbal late last year announced they were targeting April 2014 for submission of the draft BBL to Congress. But in their courtesy call on President Aquino in Malacanang on January 30, Iqbal said they accepted the challenge to submit the draft sooner, on March 31.
According to Malacanang’s website, the President urged the BTC to “draw up soonest the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law so it can be ratified and implemented in time for the 2016 elections.”
During his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22 last year, the President urged Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law “before the end of 2014” so that “we will have ample time to prepare for the election of a new Bangsamoro government come 2016.”
Bangsamoro Transition Commission chair Mohagher Iqbal answers queries from members of the civil society organizations at the Mindanao CSO Leaders Peace Summit at Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City on February 11, 2014. MindaNews photo by Toto Lozano
Whether or not the BTC submits on March 31 or April, Congress will still be on recess by then. It has sessions from January 20 to March 14 and will take a break from March 15 to May 4, resume on May 5 and will go on sine die adjournment from June 14 to July 27. The President will deliver his SONA on July 28.
On October 18 last year, the BTC and the Mindanao Civil Society Organization Platform for Peace (MCSOPP) signed a memorandum of agreement on the conduct of “public engagements and consultations from the drafting of the Basic Law up to its enactment.”
Consultations are also being conducted by the government and MILF peace panels, the Bangasamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) and other groups helping in the peace process.
The BTC partnership with MCSOPP, a platform comprising at least 120 groups and networks, aims to “promote transparency, inclusiveness and active participation of the local stakeholders” to generate “massive public support and ownership” of the BBL.
The MOA provides that at least 128 consultations will be conducted at the district level in the proposed core areas of the Bangsamoro and in every municipality included in the target expanded areas, with the consultation design approved by both the BTC and the MCSOPP.
On Thursday, the MCSOPP submitted initial results from the Bawgbug Consulting Team in Sulu, Women Engaged in Action on 1325, Arumanen Manuvu Tribe, Lanao Peace Partnership, North Cotabato Consulting Team, Alliance of Progressive Labor, Mindanao Peoples Caucus/Bantay Ceasefire and SUCCEED (Sustainable Cooperation for Equitable Enterprise Development, Inc.).
The GPH and MILF peace panels signed on January 25 the Annex on Normalization and Bangsamoro Waters and Joint Cooperation. Normalization annex is the last annex to the FAB.
The GPH and MILF peace panels are finalizing the text of the CAB which will be set for signing this month of February or March.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/818-“fast-track-consultations-on-bbl”-btc-chairman-iqbal
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