Duterte urges 17th Congress to pass BBL

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday urged Congress to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and insert a provision of federalism in the proposed legislation. SCREENGRAB FROM RTVM

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday urged Congress to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and insert a provision of federalism in the proposed legislation.

During his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) at the House of Representatives, Duterte said the 17th Congress should pass the bill and remove its unconstitutional provisions.

READ: Duterte ‘ready to concede’ BBL sans unconstitutional provisions

Duterte said the provision of a federal form of government should be inserted in the BBL, a version of which was killed in the 16th Congress in the aftermath of the Mamasapano incident, which resulted in the deaths of elite cops in the hands of Muslim fighters from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The BBL was the result of a peace deal inked between the Aquino administration and the MILF to create a more politically autonomous region in Mindanao to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

READ: Duterte ready to give BBL to MILF

“‘Yung BBL ibigay na natin (We will pass the BBL), minus the things that you do not want, yung mga constitutional issues, tanggalin muna natin (we will remove the constitutional issues),” Duterte said.

“Nandiyan na yan eh (It’s here). I ask you to pass it minus the constitutional issues that are contentious. Ibigay na natin (Let us pass it) and when the federal system comes, isama mo na sa (include it in) package. That’s the solution for Mindanao,” he added.

He said only federalism would put an end to the Muslim conflict in Mindanao.

“Nothing else will work. Believe me, nothing else will do. Please sleep on it and ponder on it. That’s the only way to proceed,” Duterte said. RAM/rga

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