Aquino assures MILF of BBL OK

President Benigno Aquino III. AP

CAMP DARAPANAN, Maguindanao—President Benigno Aquino III has assured Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leader Murad Ebrahim that he was exhausting all efforts for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before he steps down next year.

“We had a short conversation over the phone recently and he gave his assurance to us,” Murad told a group of reporters after the Eid’l Fitr community prayer held here on Friday.

He said his phone conversation with the President, which took place days after the ceremonial decommissioning of MILF firearms and combatants, was brief but it provided them more hope for the passage of the controversial draft law.

Murad said Mr. Aquino also pledged to look for ways to convince lawmakers to support the BBL, which has been pending in Congress for months now.

“We are hoping it will finally be discussed in the plenary soon. We are looking forward to lawmakers’ realization that this BBL is an opportunity for us to achieve peace,” Murad said.

But in the event the proposed law fails to pass under the Aquino administration, he said the MILF would not be returning to war.

Instead, Murad said the MILF would continue to peacefully assert its agenda in the next administration.

“We will hold on to the agreements we signed with them. We saw how sincere the President is and how big the support of the international community is,” he said.