PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is expected to certify the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as urgent "anytime soon" to hasten Congress' approval of the measure before it goes into sine die adjournment on June 1, MalacaƱang said Tuesday, May 22.
Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the President is bent on certifying the draft Moro law as urgent, as long as it is line with "what was agreed upon" between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF).
"The President promised to certify the BBL as urgent. The President promised to certify it. I cannot absolutely guarantee that the version of the House will be certified, because I haven't seen the text. But if it is in conformity with what was agreed upon, then there should be no problem," Roque said.
"It will be done anytime soon, because the agreement is to expedite (its passage)," he added.
On Monday, May 22, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez announced that he was mulling to ask the President to issue a certification of urgency to allow the House of Representatives to approve the bill on second, third and final reading on the same day.
The Senate and the House of Representatives are eyeing to approve the proposed bill that would create a new Bangsamoro Region by end of May, or before the 17th Congress adjourns its second Regular Session sine die.
The proposed BBL is an enabling measure of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro signed between the Aquino government and the Moro MILF in 2014.
The draft Moro law, however, was not passed under the leadership of Duterte's predecessor, former president Benigno Aquino III, after several lawmakers questioned its constitutionality.
When Duterte assumed presidency, he repeatedly vowed to ensure the enactment of the Bangsamoro bill into law to end Moro rebellion and the historical injustices against Bangsamoro people.
The proposed measure being pushed under Duterte's watch is aimed at abolishing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to pave way for the creation of a new Bangsamoro political entity to grant greater autonomy to the region. (SunStar Philippines)