World Bulletin / News Desk

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the Philippines is planning to establish a political party by the year 2016.

The group, which has recently made peace with the government in return for more autonomous powers in the Muslim-dominated Bangsamoro region, is said to be planning to launch the party once autonomy has been granted.

The Philippines is set to submit the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to Congress this week to create a new political entity in Mindanao after a draft was submitted to president Benigno Aquino for review on Wednesday night, Malacañang Palace deputy spokesman Abigail Valte told Manila Times on Sunday, noting that it will be submitted to Congress before the end of the month.

The proposed Bangsamoro law draft, which was initially designed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)-led Bangsamoro Transition Commission, seeks to establish a Bangsamoro region that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) after a final peace accord between the government and the MILF was signed on March 27.

While the MILF will gradually decommission its arms and troops in line with the government sticking to its political commitments, including the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the measure must first be approved by Congress and by the people in a plebiscite before it can be achieved before the planned 2016 deadline prior to president Aquino stepping down as president.