Congress to get draft of Bangsamoro Basic Law in time for SONA – Palace

From GMA News (Jul 20): Congress to get draft of Bangsamoro Basic Law in time for SONA – Palace

Malacañang will submit the draft bill of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress next Monday in time for the President's State of the Nation Address.

"Inaasahan maisusumite ito [Bangsamoro Basic Law bill] sa pagbubukas muli ng Kongreso," Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said in an interview on radio dzRB on Sunday.

The second regular session of the 16th Congress will open on July 28, followed by the President's State of the Nation Address on the same day.

BBL is a measure that will set the creation of the Bangsamoro political entity, which will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, in motion.

It is an important piece of legislation that the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front hope will end decades of armed conflict in Mindanao.

The bill was drafted by the 15-member Bangsamoro Transition Committee and was submitted to the Palace in April.

"Sana’y maipasa na nga [ang panukalang batas] na hindi lalagpas pa sa pagtatapos ng taon," Coloma said.

After the enactment of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, people in provinces in the proposed Bangsamoro entity will vote in a plebiscite. If ratified by the pebiscite, a transitional authority will be installed in Bangsamoro until 2016.

"‘Yun pong sa 2016 naman ay inaasahang maisasabay na ang regular na eleksyon ng mga opisyal na bubuo ng Bangsamoro Political Entity kasabay ng 2016 national elections," the Palace spokesman said.

"‘Yan po ang timetable na sinusunod hanggang sa ngayon kaya sinisikap na nga pong makumpleto ‘yung komprehensibong pag-aaral at pagsasapinal ng Bangsamoro Basic Law draft bill na isusumite sa Kongreso," he said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/371166/news/nation/congress-to-get-draft-of-bangsamoro-basic-law-in-time-for-sona-palace