Peace rally marks turnover of Bangsamoro bill to Congress

As President Benigno Aquino III was submitting the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to Congress Wednesday morning, some Muslim groups were holding a peaceful rally in Manila to show their support for the passage of the bill.

According to a report on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali,” the groups held a peace rally in Mendiola to urge Congress to fast-track the passage of the bill before the end of Aquino's term in 2016.

Aquino, through his peace adviser Secretary Teresita Deles, turned over the priority measure to House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Senate President Franklin Drilon during a ceremony at the Malacañang Palace.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law will embody the peace agreement signed by the Philippine goverment and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) last March.

The “Balitanghali” report quoted the groups as saying the passage of the Bangsamoro bill would help usher in peace in Mindanao wracked by decades of armed conflict.

It added that the groups remain confident that the BBL will successfully replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which Aquino has called a “failed experiment.” —Amanda Fernandez/KBK, GMA News