Muslims hopeful on final Bangsamoro law draft

From the Manila Bulletin (Aug 16): Muslims hopeful on final Bangsamoro law draft

Jolo, Sulu – Muslims in the province of Sulu are lauding Malacañang for its efforts in breaking the disagreement between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels for coming up with a final draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) – saving a supposed collapse in the agreement forged between the two panels last March.

Representative Habib Tupay Loong (First District, Sulu) said that finding a solution to the discrepancies between the government and MILF negotiators in the BBL is a sincere sign that President Aquino would like to put to an end to the conflict in Mindanao.

“The Muslims in Mindanao, particularly in the province of Sulu, are now in joyous mood after learning that the government and the MILF have agreed for a final draft of the BBL, which underwent a rigid review of its contents in Davao City since early this month,” Loong, chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs, said.

Earlier, MILF Chief Negotiator Mohagher Iqbal accused the government, saying that about 70 percent of the nearly 100-page BBL draft was either deleted or revised by Palace lawyers who reviewed the document for about two months.

But Aquino’s intervention, according to Loong, prompted the government and MILF panels to sit down and thresh out vital issues to save the BBL.

He also said that Muslim nations are keeping a close watch on the development of the peace negotiations while preparing investment packages to be implemented in the Muslim region of the country.

He also said that most member-nations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), including some nations in the United Kingdom, had signified their intentions of pouring investments to help the Moros in Mindanao uplift their living conditions.

http://www.mb.com.ph/muslims-hopeful-on-final-bangsamoro-law-draft/