Friday, July 11, 2014

MILF chief appeals for patience on delayed BBL passage issue

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 11): MILF chief appeals for patience on delayed BBL passage issue

CAMP DARAPANAN, Maguindanao - - Patience is the key.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would persevere in pushing for its ongoing peace progression with the government, due to the organization’s profound trust and confidence with President Benigno Aquino lll.

“I still personally believe that we (MILF) are going to sign a peace agreement with the Aquino administration,” MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad, said here Thursday in an interview.

Murad’s statement came on the heels of reports that many changes are being threshed out by the government legal team on the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), to pave the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro entity that would replace the old, graft-ridden ARMM set up.

On April 22 this year, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, composed of seven state nominees and eight MILF representatives, submitted before the government a 97-page BBL draft for the Office of the President to review and later endorse to Congress as urgent measure.

Murad said up to now the BBL draft remains under review at the Aquino’s office.

The President earlier said that he would like to see a signed peace deal with the MILF before his term ends in 2016.

“Amid these goings-on, I can say that there is still time for the President to endorse the BBL draft to Congress. We need to have patience,” Murad said.

Murad said the MILF, the largest Moro rebel organization fighting for self-determination in Mindanao, took some 17 years to come up with a comprehensive peace overture with the government and he would not like to see the effort discarded.

“I still believe that the President himself is eager to get things done for the prosperity of Mindanao,” he said.Currently, members of the government legal team are fine-tuning pitches in the BBL draft to conform to the Philippine Constitution.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=661634

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