President Aquino says he will not sacrifice quality over speed in drafting Bangsamoro Law

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 29): President Aquino says he will not sacrifice quality over speed in drafting Bangsamoro Law

President Benigno S. Aquino III has addressed the concerns of some sectors over the delay in the submission of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), saying the government does not want to sacrifice quality over speed in drafting the legislation.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Aquino said they are still in the process of fine-tuning certain provisions that would make the bill “reasonable, just, and acceptable” to all, hoping to complete it as soon as possible.

“Humihingi po tayo ng pang-unawa sa ating Kongreso ukol rito. Mahalaga pong maging masusi ang paghimay natin ng bawat probisyong ilalatag,” President Aquino told members of the 16th Congress at the Batasang Pambansa.Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, head of the government’s negotiating panel with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), earlier said that delaying the submission of the BBL is better than rushing it because there are issues that still have to be discussed.

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission, which is tasked to draft the bill, met last week with the MILF and members of the government peace panel to work on the details of the BBL, bearing in mind President Aquino’s intention to have it passed into law within the year.

President Aquino said he would certify the bill as urgent, once it is submitted to Congress so the government could finally conduct a plebiscite that would pave the way for a Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

“Kung maisasabatas nga po ang Bangsamoro Basic Law bago matapos ang taon at maisasagawa ang kinakailangang plebesito, mabibigyan ng isa’t kalahating taon ang Bangsamoro Transition Authority para ipakita ang positibong pagbabago. Kung maaantala naman ito, natural pong iikli rin ang panahon para mapatunayan na tama nga ang landas ng kapayapaang tinatahak natin,” he said.

Drafting the BBL is the next step the Aquino administration is trying to accomplish after signing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) with the MILF last March, en route to a peaceful Mindanao.

President Aquino said it has taken his administration a long way to bring back the trust of Muslims in the government, and he has no plan to squander it.

“Napakarami na nga po nating nararating dahil sa tiwala—at wala tayong balak basagin ang tiwalang ito. Ang gobyerno ninyo ngayon ay mayroong isang salita,” he said.

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bansamoro is just the start of better things to come for Mindanao, the President said, as the government has also earmarked a P5.17-billion budget for the Department of Public Works and Highways next year to fund infrastructure projects in the south.

"Gusto po nating bigyan ng pantay na pagkakataon ang lahat ng Pilipino, kaya nga dapat may boost up, para naman maka-catch up ang ating mga kababayang nasa laylayan," he said.

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