Bangsamoro law needs to be filed now for early passage – Gonzales

Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF negotiator, and Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, head of the government negotiating panel, exchange copies of the peace agreement between the MILF and the Aquino administration they signed in Malacañang on March 27. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang better submit to Congress the Bangsamoro Basic law soon or else the House of Representatives is unsure if it can pass the proposed measure on time, the majority leader said Monday.

Mandaluyong City Representative Neptali Gonzales II said the delay in the filing of the law in Congress would mean lesser time for the lower chamber to deliberate on the measure before it adjourns on June 13.

“When the submission of the law becomes more delayed, we can no longer promise on how long it’s going to take the committee to take it up in time for our sine die adjournment by June,” Gonzales said. Sine die adjournment means the House would adjourn without a definite date to resume sessions.

The lower chamber was expecting the Palace to submit the draft bill in end-March.

Gonzales said once the bill is passed, both houses of Congress would go over the bill for a week before they would convene to discuss on how to proceed.

“We’ve agreed before that it will be given priority by both houses of Congress,” he added.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law is based on the peace accord between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Council.

The law will pave the way for the creation of a Bangsamoro political entity in Mindanao to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

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