Moro leaders prefer opt-in provision in Senate version of BBL

Moro leaders support the “opt-in” proposal in the Senate version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that would allow 39 barangays in North Cotabato and six towns in Lanao del Norte to join the envisioned Bangsamoro region following a plebiscite.

The House version of the BBL has a similar provision but stipulates that local government units (LGUs) may only join the Bangsamoro if their mother province or town also votes in favor of inclusion.

Included in Bangsamoro

“We prefer the Senate [version] which states there that [these LGUs] will be included in the Bangsamoro,” said Ghadzali Jaafar, chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) and vice chair for political affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The 39 barangays and six towns in the two provinces voted for inclusion into the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) during a plebiscite in 2001, but were forced to remain in their predominantly Christian pro-vinces or municipalities after the latter opted out of the ARMM.

Once the BBL is approved, these LGUs will again vote in a plebiscite whether to join the new Bangsamoro entity.