Bangsamoro Basic Law draft submitted to Palace

(Updated 3:20 p.m.) Malacañang has received the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), a measure which will formalize the creation of the Bangsamoro political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

"In behalf of the OP [Office of the President], Usec Michael Frederick Musngi received from MILF panel chair Mohagher Iqbal relevant documents pertaining to a draft bill on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law," Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio "Sonny" Coloma Jr. said in a text message sent to reporters on Monday night.

He did not, however, provide anymore details.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Office of the Executive Secretary said the submission of the initial draft "marks the commencement of formal collaborative and coordinative efforts between BTC [Bangsamoro Transition Commission] and the OP to undertake the appropriate review and evaluation of the same for its inclusion to the President's legislative agenda."

But asked whether the submitted draft was complete, Coloma just said the material on hand was "enough for them to start."

He added that "a draft is something that can be supplemented and that can be modified until it is finalized."

"What is most important, I believe, is that the legal team will be able to do everything that is necessary to be able to submit the draft bill to the President for his own review and approval," he said during a press conference on Tuesday.

He likewise assured the public that those tasked to draft the law know what they are doing.

"The BTC would have referred extensively to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) itself. And even while one annex was being finalized, the other annexes that had been completed were already being studied in terms of how to translate the provisions of these completed annexes into the proposed law," he said.

On Monday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also expressed confidence that the bill will stand legal scrutiny.

Timetable

The draft BBL, which was crafted by the 15-member Bangsamoro Transition Commission, was based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed late March.

The Palace had said the Office of Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs will review the draft then submit it to Congress.

"It will be reviewed by the legal staff of the Office of the President, kasama na diyan 'yung DESLA, Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, and even of the Office of the Solicitor General," Coloma said on Tuesday.

The Palace had also said it aims to have the BBL ratified by the end of the year or the first quarter of 2015. 

Once approved by Congress, the BBL will be put through a plebiscite involving Mindanao provinces that want to be part of the Bangsamoro political entity. The Palace hopes to conduct the plebiscite by June 2016.

"[This is] so that there can be sufficient preparations for the conduct of elections for officials that will regularly administer the Bangsamoro political entity, and it is hoped that the election can take place simultaneously with the 2016 national elections," Coloma said.

He added that all those concerned are aware of the "sense of urgency to complete the task at hand within the indicative timetable."
 
"I think we can say with a reasonable degree of confidence that there is reason to be optimistic that the timetable can be met," he said. ?—KG, GMA News