Palace to receive Bangsamoro law draft Monday

By: Kristine Angeli Sabillo - 11 years ago

MANILA, Philippines – Before the day ends, the Office of the President will receive the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will pave the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro political entity.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Bangsamoro Transition Committee (BTC) Chairman Mohagher Iqbal would meet with Undersecretary Michael Musngi of the Office of the Executive Secretary on Monday for the submission.

“It will be submitted… I think they have an appointment with Undersecretary (Mike) Musngi at 5:00 p.m.,” Valte said in a televised press conference.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law, a product of the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, will define the relations of the local government units, the Bangsamoro government and the central government.

Valte said the BTC made sure that they had “proper legal guidance” in crafting the bill because of opposing groups, some of which said they would challenge the law before the Supreme Court.

“Well, some groups have already made known their intention to challenge the Bangsamoro Basic Law perhaps. That has not been passed yet to Congress. The panel—both panels in their negotiations have already had that in mind…They have made sure that they have the proper legal guidance while it was being crafted and that it will stand scrutiny,” she said.

The deputy spokesperson explained that after the submission of the draft law, it would be reviewed by the Office of the President through the deputy executive secretary for legal affairs Michael Aguinaldo before being endorsed to the legislative branch of government.

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday said the BBL would most likely face a “legal storm” before the Supreme Court even after it is passed into law by both chambers of Congress.

His colleague Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was earlier quoted saying that the deal was unconstitutional because the autonomous entity that will be created by the BBL will have sovereign powers reserved only for the central government.