Duterte discusses BBL with lawmakers, MILF leaders —Dureza

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday met with the leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Congress to discuss how to move the Bangsamoro Basic Law forward, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Sec. Jesus Dureza has said.

Dureza said that Duterte had a meeting with MILF’s central committee and the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Committee and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III in Malacañang.

“He just said, sabi niya, ‘Meron akong plano at tawagin ko uli kayo. Mag-usap tayo,’” he told reporters.

“It's really how to nurture na talagang papasa iyan kasi ‘pag pakawalan mo iyan, certify mo lang iyan, pagdating doon may mga question pa iyong ibang mga members of Congress dahil may Constitutional issues pa iyan,” he added.

Dureza said the Executive branch could not let go of the BBL to ensure its smooth passage and implementation.

“Diba dati akala natin merong mag-author lang, bahala na. Pabayaan mo na ang Kongreso diyan. Naku, ‘pag pakawalan mo iyan at hindi mo gawan ng game plan from the executive, baka hindi mo ma-ano…” he said.

Dureza, however, did not give any details on Duterte’s BBL road map. But the game plan is already worked on by the Office of the President in coordination with the Congress leaders.

Nonetheless, the President assured the Moro and Congress leaders that he would “continue to husband the approval of BBL until its implementation.”

The MILF previously scored the Duterte administration for the BBL's non-movement in Congress, weeks after it was presented to the President. —NB, GMA News