House seeks to pass Bangsamoro bill before 2016

MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives seeks to pass the new Bangsamoro bill before 2016, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

This is to enable the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to join the next elections, said Deputy House Speaker Pangalian Balindong, who is also Lanao Del Sur representative.

He added that the draft of the bill should be filed by May because the lower chamber will be on break from March to May.

The MILF and the Philippine government signed the last annex of the Bangsamoro framework on Saturday, sealing the deal in a bid to end the decades-long secessionist movement in Mindanao.

The comprehensive agreement would be the basis of the basic law that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with the new Bangsamoro entity.

The law would be crafted by a transitory committee formed by President Benigno Aquino III. Once certified as urgent, the proposed measure would need to be passed by Congress.

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