MILF confident on swift Congress action on draft Bangsamoro law

From GMA News (Apr 21): MILF confident on swift Congress action on draft Bangsamoro law

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) expects no delay in the passage of the law that would create the political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Interviewed by phone on Monday, MILF vice chairman Ghazali Jaafar expressed confidence in the passage of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law although he expects lawmakers to seek clarifications on some of its "important points."

"Naniniwala kaming walang balakid sa pagpasa ng Basic Law," he said. "Merong mga important points na ika-clarify ng mga lawmakers, merong silang karapatan na i-verify yung mga points na hindi nila maintindihan pero maipapasa ito."

Jaafar said the draft, which was signed Sunday, will now be sent to Malacañang. President Benigno Aquino III is expected to certify it as urgent when he submits it to Congress for deliberation and eventual approval.

Once approved by Congress, the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be put through a plebiscite involving Mindanao provinces under the proposed Bangsamoro political entity. The Palace hopes to conduct the plebiscite by June 2016.

Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF peace panel and Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), said the completed draft of the BBL was signed Sunday afternoon.

“Now we have the full text of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. This will be transmitted to the Office of the President immediately. Indeed, this is not only an achievement of a lifetime; it is a history in the making,” Iqbal said in a statement on BTC's Facebook page.

The initial draft of the Basic Law was submitted to Malacanang on April 15.

In an article posted on luwaran.com, the official website of the MILF, Iqbal was quoted as saying that the Basic Law is not perfect but it “has passed through all levels of deliberations and decision-making which are transparent and democratic.”

The report said the proposed law was completed and adopted in a plenary by the BTC on April 20 in their Cotabato City office.

Thirteen of the 15 members of the Transition Commission signed the draft. Absent were lady commissioners from the government side, Johaira Wahab from Maguindanao and Fatmawati Salapuddin from Basilan. The two do not have any explanation for their absence, the report said.

Just like Jaafar, Iqbal expressed confidence “in the trustworthiness of the President to deliver the BBL as his legacy to the nation in distress for more than our decades.”

He said a provision on the creation of Bangsamoro regional police, which was missing in the initial draft, is now part of the completed version of the proposed law.

“Naihabol sa Basic Law yung creation ng regional police, kung sino ang mamumuno nito, ang setup at training ng mga members,” he said.

Asked if they have a person in mind who will head the regional police, Jaafar said none yet as the focus of the discussion was on the proposed structure.

He said the provision was based on the result of the study conducted by the BTC.

“Hindi naman mahirap yung tungkol sa regional police dahil pinag-aralan ng commission yan, parehong gobyerno at MILF ang nag-aral nyan,” Jaafar said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/357769/news/nation/milf-confident-on-swift-congress-action-on-draft-bangsamoro-law