An MILF rebel stands guard at a camp in Maguindanao. INQUIRER FILE / JEOFFREY MAITEM
COTABATO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) strongly believes that the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will pass Congress once it is certified as urgent by President Duterte.
Drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), the draft enabling law of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), will be submitted to the President on Monday evening, July 17, 2017.
The CAB was signed in 2014 by the government and the MILF.
In an interview, Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, said that it was all systems go for the submission of the draft bill.
Under the direction of President Duterte, Jaafar will hand over the new BBL — a 112-page, 18-article document — to Senate President Aquilino Pimentel and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
“We expect him (President Duterte) to make a categorical statement that he is certifying the BBL as urgent bill. Less than that would only bring back old memories when the previous BBL was never formally certified as urgent bill by President Aquino,” the MILF said. CBB/rga