PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to sign the reconciled version of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) on July 23, Malacañang said on Thursday, July 19.
Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the public could expect that the draft Moro law would be signed into law hours before Duterte delivers his third State of the Nation Address (Sona).
This comes after the congressional bicameral conference panel approved on Wednesday, July 18, a measure that will grant greater autonomy to a new Bangsamoro region.
"Nagpapa-salamat po tayo sa ating mga mambabatas at sa mga miyembro ng Bangsamoro Transition Council (BTC) dahil natapos na po ang bicameral conference ng BBL. At dahil natapos po sila sa kanilang bicameral conference, meron na pong malalagdaan na BBL ang Presidente bago po ang kanyang Sona sa darating na Lunes," Roque said.
(We thank our lawmakers and members of the Bangsamoro Transition Council because the bicameral conference on the BBL has already concluded. And because the bicameral conference is already adjourned, the President can now sign the proposed BBL before his Sona this coming Monday.)
"So anytime now, he (Duterte) can actually sign as soon as we receive the consolidate version of the proposed Republic Act... It's possible that it (the signing of the measure) will be on Monday," he added.
A year after the 21-man BTC submitted its draft BBL to Duterte, the bicameral conference panel reconciled their respective versions of the landmark measure.
The bicameral committee took six days to iron out the contentious provisions of House Bill 6475 and Senate Bill 1717.
The Senate and the House of Representatives are expected to ratify the bicameral conference committee report on the draft Moro law during the opening of the third session of the 17th Congress on July 23.
The reconciled measure, renamed Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm), aims to abolish the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and replace it with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Under the bill, the proposed region will be composed of the current Armm, six municipalities of Lanao del Norte, and 39 villages of North Cotabato.
The proposed Bangsamoro region will have greater fiscal autonomy, regional government, parliament, and justice system. (SunStar Philippines)