De Lima in ‘full support’ of Duterte’s call for BBL’s immediate passage

Senator Leila de Lima INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

While the current Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) draft “bears no radical change” from its earlier version, Senator Leila De Lima said she is in “full support” of President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the immediate passage of the law.

“Based on the briefing which the former Presidential Adviser on Peace Process, Sec. Ging Deles, recently gave me and my staff, the current 2017 version of the draft BBL bears no radical departure from, as it is essentially the same, as the original 2014 version crafted during PNoy’s (former President Benigno Aquino III) term,” De Lima said in a statement.

While “not a perfect piece of document,” the detained senator said the BBL draft represents a “huge and monumental first step” at addressing the long-standing aspirations of Filipino Muslims.

“Their core aspiration is of course genuine autonomy and meaningful self-governance,” De Lima said.

According to the senator, “only some tweaking or fine tuning of a few provisions” is needed to prevent any constitutional challenge to the measure.

“We cannot afford to miss this yet another big shot at peace and stability in the region. The urgency in actualizing the proposed changes in the governmental, political, fiscal and justice structures for the Bangsamoro people, to supplant the discarded, deficient ARMM set-up, is most felt now, hence, imperative, given the lingering and worsening threats of terrorism and extremism in the area,” De Lima said.

“Time is indeed running out. I don’t see any other option, except chaos and more sufferings for the people, Moros and Christians alike, in the region,” she added.

On Sunday, Duterte urged Congress to fast-track its passage of the BBL.

“If we do not act on it expeditiously, I think that we are headed for trouble. We must continue to talk and I will urge Congress to fast-track it because they are getting impatient,” Duterte said during a news conference at the Davao International Airport shortly before he flew to Japan on Sunday.
BBL aims to define the basic structure of the proposed Bangsamoro state in Mindanao. Congress during Aquino’s term failed to pass its earlier version. /je

READ: Hasten BBL passage, Duterte urges Congress