World Bulletin / News Desk

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.

Reassuring that all was going according to schedule, Valte said, “I am not aware of any change in the timetable. Ang alam ko po [What I know] is that remains to be the timetable, that’s end of August, na isusumite naman sa Kongreso [that it will be submitted to Congress].”

“More than 70 percent have been agreed upon so we are looking at a few provisions that would still need the President’s observation,” added Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda, without specifying the provisions that need to be reviewed but at the same time confirming the peace panels have already deferred to the President to make a final review of the draft Bangsamoro law.

“Hopefully, we will be able to see the reaction of the President and if he will take some action. Between now and then, we are hoping that we will be able to submit the draft Bangsomoro Basic Law within the agreed timeline,” Lacierda added.

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.