BTA approves Bangsamoro Administrative Code

Voting 58-0, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) on Wednesday approved a measure defining the structural, functional, and procedural principles and rules of governance of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

During a special session, 26 members of the Parliament voted physically while 32 voted via Zoom for the passage of Cabinet Bill No. 60 or “An act providing for the Bangsamoro Administrative Code and for other related purposes.”

“In one of its basic principles and policies, the Bangsamoro Administrative Code provides that the Bangsamoro Government, in pursuit of moral governance, shall maintain honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability in governance and take positive and effective measures against graft and corruption,” Chief Minister Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said in a statement.

“This salient point speaks of our earnest desire to leave a system that adheres to the concept of amanah, where leadership and responsibilities are not just titles or positions, but more importantly a trust given by the Almighty,” he added.

According to the Bangsamoro Government, the Bangsamoro Administrative Code will take effect fifteen days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) welcomed the passage of the Bangsamoro Administrative Code.

“This major milestone was achieved through the hard work, commitment, and determination of the Bangsamoro Government,” Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a separate statement.

“Having its own administrative code will now enable the Bangsamoro government to strengthen its political structures, systems, and mechanisms, and consequently, result in a more inclusive, transparent, and responsive bureaucracy in accordance with the Chief Minister’s focus on moral governance,” he later added.

The Presidential Peace Adviser expressed confidence that with the development, they are moving closer to the goal of signing the Exit Agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front by 2022.

Galvez also expressed hope that other key legislations such as the Bangsamoro Revenue Code, Bangsamoro Electoral Code, Bangsamoro Local Government Code, and Bangsamoro Educational Code will be passed.

“Once passed, these codes will fully operationalize the BOL in order to reflect the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of our Moro brothers and sisters,” he said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News