MANILA: Senate President Franklin Drilon yesterday vowed to speed up the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law by the first quarter of next year in support of the administration’s effort to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao.
Drilon said the successful talks between the government panel and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) to iron out differences in the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law only proves “that we all share a desire for peace, equality and prosperity as a nation”.
“We congratulate the government panel and the MILF peace negotiators for overcoming great challenges,” Drilon said. “The Bangsamoro Basic Law represents all our hopes and aspirations for a lasting and genuine peace and inclusive social and economic development in Mindanao,” Drilon added. “We will not fail the Filipino people, especially our brothers and sisters in Mindanao.”
Drilon issued the statement after Malacañang announced the latest breakthroughs in the talks. Both parties have agreed on several resolutions that will form part of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to be submitted to President Benigno Aquino.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr and Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) chairman Mohagher Iqbal said the parties have agreed on the resolutions that will be incorporated into the final draft of the Basic Bangsamoro Law that will be prepared and submitted to President Aquino.
Ochoa and Iqbal said they have concluded discussions on the various issues involving the draft Basic Bangsamoro Law, which was originally drafted by the BTC and submitted to the President last April.
Aside from the government and Milf peace panels, the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process, the Office of the Executive Secretary and the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel also participated in the discussions in Davao City.
The Bangsamoro Basic Law was scheduled for submission to Congress last May but the review by Malacañang and other developments delayed its submission.
Once the draft is approved by Congress, a plebiscite will be held and a transition authority will be created. An election in the Bangsamoro will be held in 2016 so that its people could choose their leaders.
The proposed law is the enabling measure needed to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with a new Bangsamoro self-governing entity. Local officials noted the direct involvement of Ochoa in the peace overture.
ARMM Gov Mujiv Hataman yesterday said Ochoa’s participation is a manifestation of President Aquino’s commitment to find lasting, negotiated solution to the decades-old Moro issue. “That is a very clear manifestation of Malacañang’s direct involvement now in the efforts of the government and the MILF to craft a draft Bangsamoro Basic Law that is acceptable to both sides,” Hataman said.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said the draft law might possibly be submitted to Malacañang within the next few days.
Iqbal and his government counterpart, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, separately announced last week that the government and MILF panels are to meet again to resolve the remaining contentious provisions of the draft law.
The Philippine star
