By Imee Charlee C. Delavin, Reporter
THE PEACE PANELS of the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is set to submit to President Benigno S. C. Aquino III today the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, a Palace official said Sunday.
According to that timetable, the draft law should be approved by the end of the year, followed by a plebiscite in 2015 and elections in the new Bangsamoro region in 2016.
“The Philippine and MILF panels will submit the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to President Benigno S. C. Aquino III [today]. The President will give it priority attention so the bill could be submitted to Congress at the soonest possible time as agreed upon in the road map and timetable,” Mr. Coloma said.
To fast-track legislative action on the draft law, Mr. Aquino will certify it as urgent.
Amid negotiations between the government and MILF panels, Malacañang had earlier targeted May 5, when Congress resumed sessions, as the submission of the draft law, then moved the date to July 28, when Mr. Aquino delivered his penultimate State of the Nation Address.
The negotiators concluded talks on Friday, Aug. 15.
Mr. Coloma acknowledged the concerns in Congress about fulfilling the Palace’s timetable despite a late submission of the draft law, but expressed confidence that the proposed law will be passed.
“We note the statements of both leaders of Congress but we remain firm and we continue to hope that they will work with us, and will do all that they can to realize the long-time goal of bringing peace in Mindanao,” Mr. Coloma said.
The Bangsamoro Basic Law — the intended outcome of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro that the government and MILF signed on March 27 — serves to establish a new political region for the Bangsamoro people that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
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