Citizens of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are pleased with the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and are hoping it would help end the long-time conflict the region, a local official said Wednesday.
Only President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature is now needed for the BOL to be a law after the House of Representatives ratified it on Tuesday, a day after the tug-of-war for the lower Chamber’s speakership.
READ: After ‘coup interruptus,’ House OKs BOL
“This is a welcome development. Kami po sa part ng ARMM, talagang masaya kami na naipasa na ito dahil sawang-sawa na rin ang ating mga kababayan sa malawakang conflict,” ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman told dzMM on Wednesday.
(This is a welcomed development. We in the ARMM are really happy that this has been ratified because our citizens are tired of widespread conflict.)
Hataman praised the BOL for its “many good provisions” which he said are better than those prevailing in the ARMM.
According to Hataman, one of the glitches in the ARMM is a blurred line between the authority of the region and the national government.
He said a clear distinction in power was one of their suggestions in the creation of the BOL, so that the leaders’ experience with the ARMM where “many powers were not clarified” will not be repeated.
“Dapat iklaro kung ano ‘yung mga kapangyarihan na dapat talaga at fully devoted na sa ARMM at ano ‘yung nasa national government,” he said.
(The power that is fully devoted to the ARMM and the national government should be clarified.)
Hataman also expressed his hope that BOL’s implementation will be smooth after it becomes a law, since he said “it’s in implementation that problems sometimes arise.” /je
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