Replacement BBL to be submitted to Duterte July 17 — OPAPP

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 11): Replacement BBL to be submitted to Duterte July 17 — OPAPP

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) will submit the replacement Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 17, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said Tuesday.

“We have already worked on getting the BTC craft a replacement bill to the failed BBL that will implement the Bangsamoro agreement --- the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) of the Mori Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). And I’d like to let you know that the turnover of the output of the BTC will happen at 5:30 in the afternoon of July 17 here in the Palace,” Dureza told reporters at a press briefing in Malacañang.

He said that the OPAPP will recommend that the draft bill be immediately turned over by the President to Congress and certify it as urgent.

“As far as OPAPP is concerned, our recommendation is that as soon as the President receives it, he will turn it over to the Speaker of the House and the Senate President. We will also recommend that it will be certified as an urgent bill,” Dureza said.

“Pero recommendation namin ‘yan ha. You know very well that the President makes the final call,” he added.

On Nov. 7, 2016, President Duterte signed an executive order that expanded the BTC membership from 15 to 21 that will have 10 government-appointed members and 11, including the chairperson, from the MILF.

On February 10, 2017, OPAPP announced the 21 members of the expanded BTC that will draft an “inclusive” version of the earlier BBL that failed to pass Congress in the previous Aquino administration.

The expanded BTC was expected to submit the draft of the new enabling law to Congress this July in time for Duterte's second State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the resumption of session of Congress.

Enactment of the BBL will create a new political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The proposed Bangsamoro territory will have greater autonomy than the present ARMM but will remain part of the Republic of the Philippines.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1000104