House files proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law

The House of Representatives has filed the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) submitted to Congress by Malacanang.

This was confirmed by Majority Rodolfo Fariñas in a message to reporters on Friday.

"Yes, the bill on the BBL was filed and referred last Wednesday to the Committees on Local Governments, Muslim Affairs, and Special Committee on Peace, Reconciliation & Unity," Farinas said.

Farinas has also earlier announced the filing after the third Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte last week.

"The President informed us that he will leave to the wisdom of the Congress the final version of the BBL," he said.

Duterte, in the same meeting, also certified the BBL as urgent.

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) formally turned over their draft BBL to Duterte in a ceremony last July 17.

During the event, the President promised to establish a Bangsamoro country.

"May I say to you, my brother Moros, that I commit to support – in front of everybody – my covenant with you that I will support and husband this instrument as it goes in the legislator for its consideration," Duterte said.

“And there will be no objections of the provisions of all that is consistent with the Constitution and the aspiration of the Moro people,” he added.

Former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, meanwhile, has filed her own version of the BBL.

With this development, the Palace is expecting that the lawmakers will efficiently consolidate Arroyo and the BTC's versions. —KG, GMA News