Passage of BBL in both houses pleases Palace

Malacañang is “pleased” with the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in both houses of Congress after President Rodrigo Duterte certified the bill as urgent.

“We are pleased that both houses passed their respective versions of the BBL. The certification was a signal that the President considers the BBL as absolutely indispensable in the search for peace in Mindanao,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing on Thursday.

“We are pleased that both houses of Congress agreed to come up with a final version of the bill during the break. We are very pleased that they are aiming that [so the] President can sign the final BBL on the day of the Sona itself,” Roque added.

He said Malacañang was hopeful that lawmakers would “exert all efforts to make sure that this BBL would withstand judicial scrutiny.”

The House of Representatives passed their version of BBL on Wednesday night while the Senate passed their version before dawn Thursday. /jpv

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